SYDNEY, N.S. -- Cape Breton Regional Municipality is rethinking its snow removal plan after several storms have buried streets and sidewalks – overwhelming public and private crews tasked with keeping them clear. With complaints addressed to the municipality accumulating, council has decided to undertake a review.
CBRM councillor, Eldon MacDonald, says this winter has been tough on snow removal staff with the many storms and heavy snowfall experienced since January. He notes changes are needed for faster and more efficient snow removal.
"This year was a little different," says MacDonald. "We had three major storms in a row and created a backlog of getting them done as quickly as we could."
On Tuesday at city hall, councillors passed a motion to have a full review of winter operations. Macdonald says he wants the city to make homeowners and businesses responsible for clearing their respective sidewalks.
"We have to be able to enforce that," says MacDonald. "It's an issue of having the staff to not only put the policies in place and look at the review to do that but then effectively having the people to be able to carry that out."
And residents agree.
Andrew Hamilton used to walk to work every day until he was forced to walk on the road because of snow-covered sidewalks – resulting in him being clipped by a vehicle.
"For two days after, I was sore from head to toe," says Hamilton. "He [the driver] was moving slow, coming around a corner; it's scary to think how much worse it could have been and how easy it could have been a lot worse."
He says the condition of the sidewalks doesn't give those who want to walk a safe way to do so.
"The sidewalks, they tend to not be cleared very quickly; so oftentimes, with the amount of snow we get, they are completely impassable," says Hamilton. "So you have to walk on the roads, and the roads are narrow as well."
Meanwhile, until a decision is made, everyone in the CBRM is hoping mother nature will give them a break – however, more winter weather is expected soon.
