Struggling in your search for a sandbox in Edmonton? You're not alone

Some Edmontonians are finding the recent weather difficult to navigate without the help of city-supplied traction materials.

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When sidewalks get slippery, many people go looking for the sand and salt. But with city finances tight, the vast majority of community sandboxes are standing empty – or not standing at all.

"Literally one day we came to the facility and it was gone … and no explanation," said Frank Zrim, president of the North West Edmonton Seniors Society.

The sandbox outside the seniors centre is one of 670 community sandboxes that have been removed by the city this year.

The decision comes after the city held a public engagement session in October 2023. According to the resulting report, most people's first choice was to keep the program as it was or to reduce and centralise the remaining sandboxes – 35 per cent to 29 per cent respectively. 

However, of all the options ranked, the city reported that reducing and centralizing had the most support.

The city declined an interview Wednesday, but said in a statement that keeping such a large number of boxes – nearly 800 – was expensive and inefficient.

By reducing the number of boxes, the city will save $800,000. That money has been reallocated toward snow and ice control for bus stops, bike lanes and active pathways.

Zrim said, considering the centre's demographic, slippery surfaces are a great concern and safe sidewalks are not something he wants to have to wait on.

"The city does look after us here, (but) they're not here 24 hours a day, and so we need to have the ability to also look after these situations on our own," he added.

There are still 100 community sandboxes being maintained by the city. This year, the city added another 6 gravel bin sites (for a total of 11) for residents to pick up from free of charge.

During the change, Edmonton community leagues were offered the chance to apply for a sandbox of their own to be operated and maintained on their own.

As of Wednesday, there were 13 community leagues with their own box.

For more information on where to find a sandbox or gravel bin, visit the City of Edmonton's website.