Calgary City Council approves fines for not clearing sidewalk snow

Aug 1 2018, 12:05 am

Looks like it’s about time to invest in a good snow shovel.

The Calgary City Council met on Monday, July 30 and passed a motion that would introduce fines for anyone caught not clearing snow from their sidewalk.

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Previously, Calgarians were still responsible for cleaning snow off sidewalks adjacent to their residences within 24 hours of the snow falling. Failing to do so would result in a warning, and a continued failure would lead to the city hiring contractors to do the job at the resident’s expense.

According to the report that was presented in front of council on Monday, anyone who did not promptly pay those fines, they would simply be added to the annual property bill.

The report also stated that 89% of residents who were issued with a first warning would comply and clean their sidewalks within the following 24 hours, though there were no actual fines to charge the 11% that did not comply.

Following a vote on Monday, city council has approved fines for non-compliance, specifically meant to target repeat offenders.

The first fine would be set at a minimum of $150, while second-time offenders would be charged $500, and third-time offenders would be charged $750 for each subsequent time that they failed to remove the snow from their sidewalk within 12 months from the initial fine.

Seeing as Calgary has had some issues with snow clearing in the past, it is hoped that this move by the council will improve the city’s accessibility during the winter (and spring, and fall) months.

The fines will not be enforced until winter 2020.

DH Calgary StaffDH Calgary Staff

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