Icy Days
Wednesday, February 5th, 2014
This winter’s been a cold, snowy one: indeed, December saw more of the white stuff hit the ground than has fallen in 112 years. There have been chinooks, sure, and they’ve been glorious, but sadly they’ve also managed to cause problems thanks to the record precipitation. While, most years, a good chinook will dry everything else and ‘reset’ the city, this season those warm few days are just melting top layers enough to create treacherously icy sidewalks and roads that can be near-impossible to navigate safely. Just in my neighbourhood, I’ve seen more people land on their keister than any year I can remember, and hospital workers are reporting two or three times more people are showing up with sprains and breaks thanks to falling on ice than usual for this time of year. Tragically, a woman was found dead last week in Edmonton after what police suspect was a slip on the icy sidewalk.
All of this should serve as a reminder – or a provocation – to know and live up to your responsibilities when it comes to keeping the sidewalks safe in front of your house. According to city bylaws, homeowners are expected to clear their sidewalks of snow and ice within 24 hours, or else risk having the city do it at the homeowner’s expense. Staying on top of your clearing duties (as opposed to putting it off through a three-day snowstorm) can make it lighter work, and a bag of sidewalk salt, sand, or kitty litter is a lot cheaper than the deductible on your liability insurance if someone sues you for slipping; it comes down to the safety of your neighbours, their kids, their elderly parents.
We all like to complain – and justifiably so – about the insane snowpack in our suburbs this year, but all homeowners (and good natured renters too) can help make Calgary’s sidewalks a whole lot safer just by spending a few minutes with a shovel.
