City issues reminder on snow-clearing
The City of Whitehorse is reminding residents and businesses to fully clear sidewalks bordering their properties, as required by the Maintenance Bylaw.
The City of Whitehorse is reminding residents and businesses to fully clear sidewalks bordering their properties, as required by the Maintenance Bylaw.
Its highlights are as follows, the city said Monday:
Businesses are required to clear snow down to the surface of the sidewalk and lane crossings by 11 a.m. the day after a snowfall.
Residential properties are required to have snow removed from their sidewalks within 48 hours of a snowfall, or immediately upon request by a bylaw constable.
Snow-clearing avoids creating problems for people trying to move around, particularly those with mobility challenges.
When clearing snow from driveways and sidewalks, place the snow at the curb edge or on your property, but do not move it onto roadways or private properties other than your own.
“Please note that a breach of this bylaw could result in a fine of up to $250,” the city said.
The Operations Department is responsible for snow and ice control on approximately 600 lane-kilometres of roadways within the municipal boundaries.
“The city operates with a defined snow removal budget and therefore must establish priorities to provide the greatest benefit to the majority of the travelling public,” the city said.
Comments (19)
Up 1 Down 0
It’s Not True-deau! on Nov 29, 2018 at 6:14 pm
@ Charlie’s Aunt - It was concerning to me to see all the thumbs up for a post that is not true - It speaks volumes.
It would be good to see our neighbours shovelling “our” sidewalks though.
Perhaps there could be a city tax savings? This could be an hourly or flat rate discount - What does a city worker get paid an hour to clear snow?
I see that you have submitted a total of 6 hours snow removal for the winter. That will be 6 x $30/hr = $180 off your property tax. I see here that the house across from you belongs to the Smiths - is that correct. Okay - did they help you clear the snow?
No - What, they walked on the sidewalk before it was cleared compacting the snow to make it harder to remove... That is $180 + a 20% silly-buggers surcharge for a total of $216 added to the Smiths property taxes... Thank you for being a productive citizen of the city of Whitehorse.
Up 1 Down 0
2 sidewalks for every road on Nov 29, 2018 at 4:59 pm
Do you ever notice all the sidewalks in front of businesses?
Those don't always have a street in front of them, rather a parking lot.
The clearing of a parking lot + sidewalk + driveways = all public sector.
There is more snow removed by the private sector (look at public versus private lands) in one snowfall than there is moved by the City in an entire year. Keep in mind the highway is done by YG
Up 6 Down 0
Charlie's Aunt on Nov 28, 2018 at 6:11 pm
@ It's Not True; Good suggestion about alternate years with the shovel. I guess all the thumbs down you received came from those on no sidewalk side! I also wondered about the previous post on 2 x # of sidewalks. Might be true of main drags downtown, but residential areas are only on one side of road & sometimes none in older areas. Had to post again after today when I was going to walk through COW parkade @ 2nd & Steele as a short cut. One look at all the packed ice changed my mind as I didn't fancy falling down. Maybe COW should stick their own shovel where their mouth is.
Up 15 Down 2
Josey Wales on Nov 28, 2018 at 6:50 am
Hey mic drop...we are also paying for the shovels leaned on too, the dept. of shovel storage, the shovel studies, a shovel manager, shovel maintenance dept., shovel maintenance manager who answers to a shovel board that meets with counterparts to discuss...shovelling.
Topic?
How best to pass that to the peasants, the shovelling.
Yes there is some serious shoveling happening, of complete civic bovine scat.
Up 4 Down 7
I Can Shovelit-Too on Nov 27, 2018 at 6:52 pm
People who have a hard time with walkers and wheelchairs should not cross the road - There are no sidewalks over there.
Not only that, if they do cross the road, there are vehicles lurching back and forth spinning their tires trying to get unstuck from their parking spots alongside the uncleared roads.
If the vehicle does suddenly get traction it could launch out into the path of an elderly or disabled pedestrian...
Up 3 Down 13
Its Not True-deau on Nov 27, 2018 at 6:08 pm
@ For every km of city road... - Your calculations are incorrect. In many parts of the city there are only sidewalks on one side of the road. In some parts of the city there are no sidewalks.
It’s likely that the CoW has a negative ratio of sidewalk to road.
I have bought my shovel. My neighbours across the road have no sidewalk. Perhaps the way to make things fair is to assign responsibility based on even/odd years - If you live on the odd side of the road and have no sidewalk you are responsible for clearing the adjacent sidewalk [even side] in an odd year such as 2019.
This would ease the strain of labour and the stress associated with liability concerns.
Up 17 Down 3
For every KM of City road there are 2KM of sidewalk on Nov 27, 2018 at 11:16 am
The private sector has to work harder and pay for two shovels, yours and theirs.
/mic drop
Up 10 Down 6
Rural Resident on Nov 26, 2018 at 7:59 pm
People using walkers and wheelchairs have a very difficult time crossing streets and getting around in general. People should clear the snow more promptly with this in mind.
Up 13 Down 1
Charlie's Aunt on Nov 26, 2018 at 4:27 pm
@ all; You have said it all. Maybe we are lucky if COW doesn't plow, then we don't have to deal with them piling ice chunks across driveways. Supposedly if you are elderly you can ask them to exclude your driveway, but youngsters can have trouble shifting that junk so why do they block anyone's driveway? I have often wondered why the adjacent homeowner is responsible for the sidewalk & not also those that live on opposite side. Some opposite neighbors do help but others sit back and watch. Other cities do plow sidewalks.
Up 18 Down 2
Ginger Johnson on Nov 26, 2018 at 3:18 pm
In the recent Whitehorse election I promised to vote for any Mayor or City Council candidate that said he/she would improve the day-to-day running of the city.
I voted for NOBODY
Up 23 Down 3
Just Sayin' on Nov 26, 2018 at 2:29 pm
LOL. Our street gets cleared maybe twice a year. Hard to clear streets when the COW operators at the local coffee shops, drinking coffee. I am just following the COW's example of clearing snow.
Up 15 Down 1
Sammy on Nov 26, 2018 at 2:27 pm
Maybe with the old bylaw manager now gone and with a new bylaw manager, they'll start to use more common sense when it comes to residential snow clearing on sidewalks without the tickets!
Up 21 Down 3
Derrick McKay on Nov 26, 2018 at 1:47 pm
Living in an area that 1) the road gets cleared at most twice a winter 2) floods BADLY every spring, and 3) having a "shared sidewalk" that *I* am responsible for, and the people that "share" it on the other side don't get considered liable. I've been doing it for 19 years now... isn't it their turn by now??? and 4) having to scrape the bottom of my car trying to enter main roads as the graders leave windrows over the crossings. There has to be more responsibility on the COW and less finger-shaking at the people that "don't follow the bylaws".
Up 23 Down 5
Public reminds the City of Whitehorse on Nov 26, 2018 at 1:38 pm
Snow removal is your job, not ours
Yet we're doing a better job of it. COW has to manage 600 km's of road. We have to manage about 10 times more than that. And we don't even get paid! Add up all the sidewalks + driveways + parking lots. The private sector moves more snow in one snowfall than you'll move in an entire season.
Up 19 Down 1
Corner Lot Owner on Nov 26, 2018 at 10:05 am
How about COW trucks, plows and other vehicles NOT driving on the sidewalks bordering my property. Sidewalks are for people, roads are for vehicles.
Also other drivers, who cutting the corner by driving over the sidewalks (and lawn),
Packs the snow down, turning to ice/hard pack, very hard to remove, and makes harder for people to walk on.
Up 25 Down 1
Atom on Nov 26, 2018 at 8:55 am
Yeah we can get better at shoveling the berms left by the plows, if a plow is even on the streets at all....how can a Northern City be this bad at snow removal? More like snow retention...arseholes
Up 31 Down 1
Shovelit on Nov 23, 2018 at 9:21 pm
How about the CoW truck-off! Quit snowmounding our driveways! Quit plowing your ice chunks onto our sidewalks! How about the CoW plow the sidewalks with vacant lots!
Up 35 Down 2
Henry Wensleydale on Nov 23, 2018 at 4:17 pm
PFFFFT - walk down Fourth Avenue in January. Most businesses don't bother with snow removal
Why not fire a few bylaw officers and hire someone to clear the downtown sidewalks with one of those little tractors ?
GASP - that's what 100's of Canadian cities smaller than WH do
Up 32 Down 3
Max Mack on Nov 23, 2018 at 3:27 pm
Meanwhile, the City of Whitehorse only clears my street AT BEST twice a year.
Typical government. One set of rules for the rulers, one set of rules for everyone else.