Elderly, disabled urge British Columbians to clear sidewalks

Snow-covered sidewalks and roads make navigating a challenge for everyone, but nearly impossible for some.

Older people and people with disabilities may be more vulnerable, increase the risk of falls, and reduce visibility if there is no aisle. That’s why advocates and people with real-world experience are asking people to keep the sidewalks clean.

Amy Amantea, who is legally blind, uses a cane to identify streets, boulevards and lawns so she can navigate safely. When everything is covered with snow, her wand cannot help her in the way she needs.

“It’s a little liberating without my typical navigation tools,” she said.

Marilyn Dyer, 89, also needs a cane to walk. But in the snow, she said, she can’t use it.

“When you go outside, the rubber on the bottom gets wet. It’s slippery.”

And if it slips, she said she might as well.

“Right now, I’m staying home until I can see a little bit of the sidewalk.”

Keeping roads clean is “essential” to HandyDart’s service, said Dan Mountain, a spokesperson for Translink. Because HandyDart goes to private homes, it requires driving down side streets, and urban plows are often not a priority.

“It is imperative that HandyDart gets to those who need it most, those who have medical appointments,” he said.

It’s no secret that when snow falls on the Lower Mainland, the area struggles to clear the snow.

When it snowed on December 20th, some coastal areas had up to 40cm of snow, causing flights to be grounded, ferries to be canceled and transportation to be delayed. People were asked to avoid traveling as much as possible, and businesses and schools were closed. No matter how you look at it, it was a snowy day.

Vancouver County Pete Frye said crews are doing what they can and estimated about 500 people were involved in the snow clearing operation on Tuesday.

But he said snow is difficult to predict in the Lower Mainland.

“Continuously, year after year, we’re starting to see these record-breaking snow events,” Frye told CBC host Stephen Quinn. early version.

He said it was not easy to change the approach or add or improve equipment. The cost of snow-clearing infrastructure is a barrier as Vancouver gets very little snow compared to other large cities in Canada.

“If you want to make that kind of investment, you have to respect that too. [equipment] You’ll be sitting around doing nothing for the better part of a year. ”

Street operations manager Amy Sidwell said the city was still working on clearing snow on Wednesday.

“When you have a very large snowfall like this, it takes a while for all the snow to be cleared from the roads just because there’s a lot of traffic on the streets,” Sidwell said.

“With this amount of snow, it will take longer for the roads to be completely cleared of snow.”

She thanks the people who shoveled the sidewalks.

Property owners and tenants are responsible for clearing snow and ice from the full width of sidewalks in front of and beside their properties by 10 a.m. each day, according to the city’s website.

Sidwell said inspectors were out in Vancouver this week to fine people who didn’t clear the sidewalks.

Shoveled sidewalks mean people like Dyer and Amantea can roam and take buses without worry.

“We often rely on people in the community who say, ‘Can I buy you groceries?’ or ‘Can I shovel the sidewalk in front of your house?'” Mr Amantea said.