Edmonton snow-clearing raises mobility concerns as mayor recognizes change is needed

As Edmonton’s massive holiday snowfall continues to melt amid a week of above-freezing temperatures, the aftermath is creating new challenges — especially for people with mobility issues.

Deeply rutted roads, pooled water and ice are making it difficult, and in some cases impossible, for some Edmonton residents leave their homes.

Linda Carlyle is one of them. While she would normally be out every day, she now carefully plans even essential trips.

“I start worrying the night before because I’m unsure if I’m going to get through the snow and the water — it’s very slippery,” Carlyle said.

As the snow softens and freezes repeatedly, ruts and puddles have become hazardous for drivers and pedestrians alike.

“It’s quite dangerous,” Carlyle added.

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Accessibility advocates say the conditions pose an even greater risk for seniors and people with disabilities.

Zachary Weeks, a disability advocate, says he has heard from many people who feel isolated and trapped in their homes. He describes the situation as dehumanizing.

“When you have things that should be an impediment to getting out and about — getting groceries or going to medical appointments — it’s a different level,” Weeks said.

1:49 Melting snow leaves some Edmonton residents with mobility issues stuck at home

Weeks says his wheelchair and accessible van often get stuck every time he leaves home, turning a routine outing into a safety concern.

“This is an issue that people with disabilities and seniors are fed up with,” he said.

The problems have also affected those who rely on dedicated accessible transit. In one case, an Edmonton Transit Service DATS bus was seen stuck near a seniors’ residence. Hours later, a school bus became stuck in the same area.

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Kelsie Blain, who lives nearby, said the situation highlights how difficult winter conditions can be for people with limited mobility.

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“In their case, it makes it so difficult to get around or do anything like that,” she said.

The accessibility challenges come as Edmonton’s mayor acknowledges broader shortcomings in the city’s snow-clearing approach.

Mayor Andrew Knack says this winter’s unusually large snowfall has exposed gaps in the city’s removal strategy — and shows funding has not kept pace with Edmonton’s growth.

“I don’t think it was increasing to the level that we need it to, especially considering how much our city has actually grown in size,” Knack said.

“I don’t think anyone would say, especially on the local roads, that the service levels for local roads is good enough.”

The mayor says the city is considering changes, including reintroducing calcium chloride to help melt snow and ice, and reinstating towing enforcement for vehicles not moved during parking bans.

“People might not want us to say the words, but things like not using calcium chloride when almost every other city uses it, these are things that we have limited ourselves, “Knack said.

“We haven’t had our budget keep up with the growth of our city.”

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Story continues below advertisement 8:41 Edmonton mayor joins Global News Morning to talk about snow removal

However, those changes would come at a significant cost.

Right now in neighbourhoods, the snowpack is bladed to a level five centimetres, not cleared to pavement, and the snow is not hauled away. City estimates suggest windrow collection in residential areas could cost nearly $50 million.

As well, adding six new plows would cost about $1 million per year to operate, plus initial purchase costs. Increased enforcement and towing could add another $1 million annually.

A new City of Edmonton service yard is opening in the southwest, Knack said, which should help some of the suburbs. Right now, the yards are more centrally located.

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“Before they even begin doing their work, they’re probably driving 30 to 45 minutes to be able to start,” Knack said of operators assigned to snow operations in newer areas like outside Anthony Henday Drive.

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“Even though we have two 12-hour shifts now, and crews work 24 hours a day, you’re still losing time even in the transportation. We need to have maintenance yards in the areas where they are doing that maintenance work, so that they can start their shift within five minutes of driving off the lot.”

Former city councillor Jon Dziadyk says Edmonton needs to rethink how it prioritizes snow clearing.

“They shouldn’t do all arterial roads to completion while ignoring all other categories of roads,” Dziadyk said.

2:01 Lots of Edmonton drivers stuck in the snow as residential blading continues

Other municipalities surrounding Edmonton are taking different approaches.

In St. Albert, crews cleared residential streets and major roadways at the same time by bringing in additional hired equipment, such as graders and skid steers, allowing city crews to stay focused on arterial and collector routes.

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While there are lessons to be learned from the city’s bedroom communities, Knack said a more relevant comparison comes from looking at how other major cities like Ottawa and Montreal manage snow removal.

“A city like Ottawa, which spends about $30 million more a year than the city of Edmonton, and they have a smaller roadway network — it’s no surprise a city like that is able to remove snow off the streets in a much shorter amount of time than takes us to do blading,” Knack said.

“Montreal, which has probably the largest snow removal budget in the entire country, again, with a much smaller roadway network than we do.”

Knack says it ultimately comes down to priorities determined during budget talks.

“It is very much a base-budget funding issue, and this is why we have to talk about how we make sure we increase that base.”

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Those discussions are expected to be part of Edmonton’s upcoming four-year budget deliberations this spring.

“We have not been budgeting appropriately for what should be one of the most critical services in the city of Edmonton,” Knack said.

The debate could become one of council’s first major tests as councillors weigh the rising cost of snow-clearing against pressure to not increase taxes.

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In the meantime, residents like Carlyle say they’re left struggling day to day.

“I wish that when the city plows, they would take the snow with them,” she said.

—with files from Sarak Komadina and Katherine Ludwig, Global News

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