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Wednesday, January 22, 2020 Vol. 43, No. 4
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YOUR LOCAL PAPER
Sidewalk shovelling heats up debate at Viking Council Eight-to-ten tickets issued during frigid temperatures Patricia Harcourt Editor
Handing out tickets for not shovelling sidewalks during frigid temperatures heated up debate at Viking Council Monday night. Because of it, council is re-evaluating the intent and manner of enforcement of the policy. CAO Don McLeod brought the issue forward to inform councillors that eight to 10 tickets were issued by the town's bylaw enforcement for failing to clear snow. The fine on each ticket was $100. The tickets created a snowfall of criticism on social media, with Facebook comments mainly sympathetic towards the people who got the tickets. McLeod said they were issued after less than a 24 hour period had elapsed following the latest snowfall, even though residents are supposed to have 48 hours in the current policy. Councillor Dana Ewashko noted that there had been two snowfalls within close proximity of one another last week. Nobody paid the tickets which have since been cancelled by the town. Several councillors spoke in favour of the residents as well, citing the extreme cold last week. "It was too cold to shovel," said Laurel Weisgerber, with winds last week creating snowdrifts. "I'm with Laurel," said Judy Acres, speaking via teleconference. "If it's 40 below we should be telling seniors to stay inside…The response should be 'how do we help you,'" not giving out tickets. Mayor Jason Ritchie added: "This was not the time to enforce this bylaw," he said. "So many people are sick right now." Gary Hafso stated he didn't shovel his sidewalk due to his own illness, which was evident at the meeting. "Where were the warnings?" asked Weisgerber, which should be issued to allow residents to comply before getting a ticket. Holding the cancelled tickets, Ritchie responded that only one had received a warning. Councillor Clint Nearing defended the issuing
of tickets, stating that if he could comply then others in the community should also be able to comply. Nearing also said that people did not clear off the first snowfall before the second arrived, so it was their fault for having so much snow to clear all at once. Ritchie disputed this, stating that snowdrifts pile up very quickly with the wind that was also prevalent last week. Nearing said he had driven around town and put together a long list of residents where the snow was not cleared. Ritchie asked: "I also question why eight to 10 (people) were ticketed if there are so many (others)." CAO McLeod told council the brunt of the anger about the tickets was directed at himself and town staff. "I don't like being called an assh***… . We do not have to put up with that." He added that the
phone calls from residents indicated they were both "irate and p*ssed…Didn't anybody think to say it was 50 below with the windchill? "They (those ticketed) wanted to wait for the weather to warm up and I don't blame them. There were extenuating circumstances to this, I'm sorry." Ewashko and Acres stated they agreed with that statement. "Keep in mind the intent of the policies," added Acres, to "make the community safe and beautiful not to punish people. Use common sense…When it's 40 below zero we should be telling people to stay inside." Acres said it was dangerous to be out in that temperature for any amount of time, a matter of minutes, before freezing sets in. "Policies are there for a reason but common sense is how we enforce them," she said. A motion by Clr. Weisgerber for a meeting to be set up with the bylaw officer to discuss council concerns was then passed.