Cape Breton still clearing sidewalks two weeks after storm

George Street is one of the busiest streets in Sydney, N.S., but on Wednesday, it still had no sidewalks, so pedestrians had to get around the best they could.

"There's no sidewalks to even take him on. These are bike lanes where I'm pushing my stroller,” said one pedestrian who spoke with CTV News Atlantic.

People also had to walk in the street near Loaves and Fishes.

While he's heard no complaints from people who use the food bank and community kitchen, general manager Marco Amati was surprised the sidewalks near his building were still blocked.

"The whole upper end of Charlotte Street looks like it's not done, but we get by,” Amati said. "We have people coming in with children, and we see people with walkers and all this stuff. So it's really difficult for them to come in."

In other parts of town, sidewalks were getting cleared on Wednesday as crews took advantage of the mild weather.

Part of Kings Road — another busy street — has been down to two lanes since Tuesday so crews could deal with sidewalks.

"So, sidewalk clearing has taken some time,” admitted Jenna MacQueen with Cape Breton Regional Municipality communications. "Pedestrians are asking for (clearing). We have students who are trying to get to and from school, waiting at bus stops, so we're trying to clear as many sidewalks as we can and as fast as we can."

"It’s tough. There’s a lot of ice,” said councillor Eldon MacDonald.

MacDonald also weighed in on a social media post made by a company contracted out by the municipality for snow removal.

The post said that the company and two other contractors pulled out of the job last week when they learned their pay from the municipality was significantly less than the provincial rate.

"It's my understanding that they are back on the job, and it's my understanding that the price that was agreed upon prior to winter settling in is the current price that's being paid,” MacDonald said.

CTV News Atlantic reached out to the contractor, who confirmed his stance on the matter but declined to be interviewed.

The municipality said once the more heavy-duty sidewalk clearing is finished on Kings Road, a similar operation will take place on George Street.

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