By Amanda Smith-Millar
If the city’s draft budget is adopted in the spring, snow removal funding will be more than doubled, adding about $4 million to improve services.
Last year, the city spent $3.4 million on snow removal. The 2006 budget asks for $2 million to improve salting and grating, and another $2 million for snow removal and winter sidewalk maintenance.
As well, $150,000 will go toward special snowplough equipment to remove ice buildup from sidewalks.
On Dec. 23, 2004, Ottawa awoke to find the city coated in drizzly, wet rain, which quickly hardened to ice.
It made driving and walking on sidewalks dangerous, and the city did not have enough resources for adequate removal.
“There was lots of snow piling up,” says Javed Rehman, manager at 2 for 1 Pizza on Bank Street. He says that last winter, snow heaps and slippery sidewalks discouraged customers from coming, and he lost business.
To make matters worse, budget cuts made for an inflexible snow clearance policy. In previous years, snow removal crews could ask for more money if the winter was especially harsh. Plus, the maintenance standards called for snow-packed sidewalks instead of bare cement.
John Manconi, acting director of surface operations, says Centretown’s roads and sidewalks – and the entire downtown area – will get special attention. The money will be used to move snow banks to other locations.
“Our goal is to make sure the community has a safe and dependable sidewalk system,” Manconi says.
Streets haven’t been safe for everyone. Last winter, 77-year-old Una Beaudry slipped and fell when crossing Laurier and Percy Streets. She died at hospital three days later.
Coun. Rainer Bloess says the decision to reinstate snow removal funding has nothing to do with Beaudry’s fall.
“We’re basically responding to what residents have told us.”
The proposed budget also calls for 14 new adult crossing guards in 12 locations across the city, but no Centretown schools will get these guards.
The 2004 budget proposed to slash the crossing guard program. Cutting the 22 guard jobs would have saved the city $250,000; however, council voted to keep the program. Currently, Ottawa has 50 guards.
Naya Markanastasakis, vice-principal at Centennial Public School, says her school doesn’t have a crossing guard. “We’re downtown, it’s busy,” says Markanastasakis, adding that students might be safer if Centennial had a guard.
If concerned citizens thought Centretown schools need crossing guards, they should phone the city, says John Miskelly, coordinator of School Zone Traffic Safety.
“We take calls from anyone,” Miskelly says. “Then we talk with the school. If it warrants it, then we go out and make the detailed investigation.”