When Ward 7 councillor Scott Hamilton met with senior residents in 2020 to discuss their inability to properly remove snow from their properties, he knew something had to be done.
With an aging population in the city and safety concerns around unshovelled sidewalks, it prompted him to dig into a 17-year-old bylaw and snow removal program aimed at helping those experiencing physical and developmental challenges.
"I thought the city should have something in place to help those who truly need help," Hamilton said.
"I think that's what we're here for, to help our residents."
The program initially saw the city commit $10,000 to fund the organization Community Support Connections to send out snow buddies to clear the paths of eligible residents.
But through the work of Hamilton and support of city council, the program has now expanded to include additional staff on the ground to help approximately 50 residents, with several more on the waitlist.
Six seasonal staff have become full-time to work on sidewalk and garbage maintenance in the winter and then focus on trail maintenance and other tasks in the summer.
While converting the staff may appear more costly, Hamilton said it's actually the opposite.
"Overall, it would save the city money," he said.
"Because you have full-time employees doing a lot more work than contracting out compartmentalized seasonal workers."
Community Support Connections is still involved in the process by taking in the requests and assessing eligibility based on income, supports in the home and any physical or intellectual issues.
For people who meet the criteria, they have two options.
The first is to have their sidewalk and driveway apron cleared for free by city staff to ensure bylaws are complied with. The other is to have CSC pair them with a community member for a fee to shovel the driveway and walkway, as well.
Further expansion of the program to serve more people will be dependent on need and budget availability in the coming years, Hamilton said.
The city recently decided to end its investigation into the idea of taking on winter sidewalk clearing after determining the costs of implementing such a program are too high.
But as the city works to help those who are unable to do it themselves, staff continue to issue reminders about the critical need for all residents clear their sidewalks to ensure everyone has the ability to get around safely.
The current bylaw states snow must be removed within 36 hours of the end of a snowfall.
"It's something that we as citizens have to have in our hearts and minds to provide for one another so we have a safe, accessible community that everyone can enjoy," Hamilton said.
"Knowing that if we don't shovel that sidewalk, we might be preventing one of our friends or neighbours from doing something they love. Some members of our community are more fortunate than others and we need to be there for those who need the extra help."
