City official explains new sidewalk-clearing bylaw

As of Saturday, another chore has been added to to-do lists when it snows.

An addition to the snow-clearing bylaw passed last year means that property owners outside of downtown will have 48 hours to clear their sidewalks of snow after a snowfall.

If the person physically can’t clear the sidewalk, Andrea McNeil-Wilson — the manager of bylaw enforcement with the City of Regina — said the person can reach out to family members, neighbours or their local community association.

“The city has provided some grants for what’s called the Snow Angels program and that is operated by six community associations within Regina who can provide snow-clearing services for those who can’t,” McNeil-Wilson told the Greg Morgan Morning Show.

The clearing also still needs to be done if the property owner is out of town.

For the first little while, McNeil-Wilson said the city is going to focus on education.

“If we receive a complaint or if a bylaw enforcement officer is out in the field and if they witness a property that is in violation of the bylaw, they will go to the home, try and make contact with the property owner or the business owner and if they’re unable to do so, they will just leave a doorknocker informing a resident of the regulation,” explained McNeil-Wilson.

Later on, when there’s a violation, she said the owner would be given a notice of non-compliance with the bylaw, giving them 48 hours to shovel.

If the sidewalks still aren’t cleared, McNeil-Wilson said city crews will be notified and come clear the sidewalk, with the cost of that being added to the homeowner’s property tax bill.