Edmonton 311 snow on walk complaints soaring, already exceed last winter’s total
Snow on walk complaints to the City of Edmonton's 311 service more than doubled and the number of tickets issued grew by 24 per cent in January compared to the same time last year, according to city data.
In January 2021, the city received 957 complaints compared to 2,184 this January.
The number of tickets grew as well, with the city saying its officers issued 298 tickets in January of 2021 compared to 378 last month.
So far, there have been 4,786 complaints filed to 311 between Nov. 1 and Jan. 31 compared to 4,299 for all of last winter, defined as stretching between October and April.
Part of the difference is explained by last year’s relatively mild winter that was also the city’s second-driest in more than 100 years, according to Environment Canada.
But, the number of complaints could also outpace the winter of 2019/2020, where there were 2,333 complaints at the end of January and 5,648 at the end of winter.
That season, nearly 35 per cent of complaints came in February.
The data on 311 complaints is provided on the city’s open data portal. Figures here list the number of complaints but exclude duplicate files where the complaint was already under investigation and also those complaints deemed not to meet bylaw offence standards.
Edmonton endured extreme cold over last December and January, including an historic stretch where the high temperature failed to exceed -20 C on 13 of 15 days.
More recently, a cycle of mild temperatures followed by a renewed cold snap has taken hold, resulting in icy streets and sidewalks.
Relative to neighbourhoods, the most complaints so far this winter were registered in:
- Holyrood - 123
- Westwood - 97
- Chappelle Area - 94
- Alberta Avenue - 88
- Laurel - 81
The average number of complaints to date among the city’s 391 neighbourhoods was 11.4 and 104 neighbourhoods – mostly industrial, commercial or parks – logged zero complaints.
‘CLEAR OF ALL SNOW AND ICE’
Section seven of the Community Standards Bylaw states that all sidewalks must be cleared of snow and ice but doesn’t provide a timeframe, only stating that “a person shall maintain any sidewalk adjacent to land they own or occupy clear of all snow and ice.”
The city warns that failure to do that could result in a $100 fine on top of any potential cleanup costs.
“As residents of a winter city, we need to be considerate of the impact snow-covered and icy sidewalks have on our neighbours and fellow citizens,” the city’s website reads.
The city says it examines each case individually but encourages people to discuss concerns with the property owner before filing a formal complaint.
Complaints are assessed within four business days and are prioritized based on severity, location and weather.
Violators are responsible for paying the cost of an independent contractor to clear away the snow.
Free sand is also available at community sandboxes and the city’s roadway maintenance yards.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Attempt to have murder charge quashed against alleged serial killer dismissed by judge
A motion filed by the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg to have one of those murder charges quashed has been dismissed by the judge – weeks before the start of his trial.
Government proposes new policy for federally regulated employees to disconnect from work
In their 2024 budget, the federal government wants to amend the Canada Labour Code, so employers in federally regulated sectors will eliminate work-related communication with employees outside of scheduled hours. If implemented, this would affect roughly 500,000 employees across the country.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.