Daniel Heath, Centretown News These yellow boxes are what residents can look for on slippery days. This grit box is located at the corner of MacLaren St. and Bank St. in Ottawa.
In order to keep the sidewalks safe during the winter months, the City of Ottawa has increased the number of do-it-yourself “grit boxes” in various locations across the city, including Centretown.
The program was originally introduced in 2005 with 40 boxes used mainly in the downtown core. Since 2014, with the help of funding from the Older Adult Program — a plan of action run by Ottawa Public Health to ensure healthy living for older citizens — the number of boxes has increased to 81, says Luc Gagné, manager of Roads Services for the city.
These boxes are equipped with the same winter grit used by Ottawa’s snow operations staff. They have been placed in areas with high pedestrian traffic, near steep hills and in locations where there is a high volume of older adult pedestrians. Residents are encouraged to spread the grit on slippery areas to ensure safe travel for all.
In Centretown, there are boxes located in the following well-known locations:
– Elgin St. and Cooper St.
– Metcalfe and MacLaren St.
– MacLaren St. and Elgin St.
– MacLaren St. and Bank St.
For more information and to see other grit box locations visit:
http://ottawa.ca/en/residents/transportation-and-parking/road-and-sidewalk-maintenance/grit-box-program