Op/Ed by JASON SETNYK
Snow and snowstorms are a fact of life in Canada, but impassable sidewalks shouldn’t be. Over the past few days, residents have posted to social media of complaints that some sidewalks remain untouched days after a heavy dump of snow – and not just on the City’s mapped “unmaintained” segments.
Council’s new by-law (2025-128) formally designates certain sidewalk segments as “unmaintained” from Nov. 1 to Apr. 15, meaning the City will not plow, salt, or sand them, and will post notices or signage to that effect.
That may help manage liability and set expectations, but it doesn’t solve the bigger problem: some of the sidewalks that are supposed to be maintained aren’t being cleared fast enough. The City asks residents to be patient, but the frustration is understandable.
When sidewalks stay buried, able-bodied pedestrians slip, trip, and end up walking on the road because the streets are cleared first. That’s a system built for cars, not people. It gets worse for seniors with mobility issues, people using walkers or wheelchairs, anyone with limited vision, and parents pushing strollers.
I watched two bus drivers struggle at Pitt and Second, trying to carve through slush so a passenger using a wheelchair could board. That isn’t just inconvenience; it’s a safety risk and a dignity issue – at the city’s busiest transfer point.
Yes, the City is facing a budget crunch. But mobility is not a luxury. If winter walking feels impossible, vulnerable residents stay home, miss shifts, and skip errands. Local businesses feel it too when fewer people can safely reach stores and restaurants.
If we can clear roads with urgency, we can clear sidewalks with the same tenacity-not just downtown or on main arteries, but in the neighbourhoods where people live. Winter mobility has to start at the front door and connect residents safely to the routes they rely on.
L’article Make winter walkable again est apparu en premier sur Cornwall Seaway News.
