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Clear that sidewalk or face a fine
Residents and businesses in Yellowknife's central business district must stay on top of snow clearing

Katherine Hudson
Northern News Services
Published Tuesday, December 6, 2011

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Residents in the downtown core are accustomed to seeing the flashing lights of a City of Yellowknife bylaw vehicle slowly glide down the streets, on the lookout for snow-covered sidewalks.

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Morris Goulet scrapes off ice and snow from the sidewalk on 49 Street this past February. - NNSL file photo

Whether people agree or not with the task of clearing snow all the way to the pavement, or receiving warnings and then tickets from the city's law enforcers, winter is here and the patrols are out in full force to inform residents of what's expected of them.

The highway traffic bylaw – which is in place to ensure the safety of pedestrians using the sidewalk -- requires occupiers of properties in the central business district to clear snow and ice from sidewalks, or face one warning and then a $50 ticket for residential property or $100 for commercial property.

Jim White, owner of Fiddles & Stix on 52 Street said store employees ensure the sidewalk is cleared outside the store.

"We maintain it, we don't wait for them to come and tell us. We want it safe for our customers so it just makes sense to do the shovelling ahead of time," he said.

A resident on 51 Street who did not want to be named, said she doesn't believe residents should be expected to shovel at all.

"(Bylaw is) very aggressive and we pay high enough taxes that they should be shovelling instead of us.

My boyfriend had a sergeant call him and be very aggressive regarding the shovelling. He thought he had broken some major law and it was just regarding shovelling but he was treated like a criminal when it was just about shovelling the snow. It should be the city's responsibility because we're shovelling snow for pedestrians not for ourselves," she said.

"I don't want to live downtown because of these rules."

Marvin Zorn owns an apartment building on 51 Street and said he has no qualms with shovelling the walkways, saying bylaw can patrol as often as they like.

"They can do it every day, once a week, once a month, I don't care. But I'm not pushing a stroller down the sidewalk, I'm not pushing a chair down the sidewalk, so it needs to be done for them," said Zorn.

52 Street Resident Margaret Begg said she has received warnings from bylaw but never a ticket. She said she saw the lights flashing outside her window as the city workers patrolled the area.

"They were in their white car yesterday and they were driving up the street there and they were going very slowly so we knew that they were checking the sidewalks, as they stopped in front of houses."

Mayor Gord Van Tighem said there is also a walking patroller who drops off warnings and tickets, and speaks with residents about what state the sidewalks should be in.

"People for years have said no one is administering it and this year, they obviously are. Right now, it's the start of winter and let's start it off right and let everyone understand what their responsibilities are," he said.

Another 51 Street resident who did not give Yellowknifer his name, said shovelling and chipping snow and ice all the way to the pavement makes for a slippery surface.

"I prefer a little crust, a smooth crust of snow. There's better traction, it's easy to go and strollers and chariots can get by. I think the bylaw needs to be reworked because its kind of an unrealistic expectation," he said.

Van Tighem said a few years ago council struggled with the definition of a clear sidewalk and decided on all snow and ice removed to the pavement.

"You can argue whether that makes sense or not but now that's the definition, therefore that's the way that it's being administered now," said the mayor.

Van Tighem said residents and commercial owners have 24 hours from a snowfall to clear the accumulated snow before bylaw hands out warnings or tickets.

"I think this year there's been more activity than there has been in past years because there has been a concern shown for not having sidewalks cleaned up – so right now it's an education period. People are showing that they're making an effort to clear it up and thats good and if they aren't then someone talks to them."

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