While Edmonton might consider imprisoning a senior for failing to pay a snow-clearing fine, Toronto isn't likely to fill its jails with citizens flouting the 1999 bylaw that requires the removal of the white stuff from city sidewalks within 12 hours of a storm.
"We're not aggressively going after residents," said Gary Welsh, Toronto's director of transportation services. "It's just not a big issue at this time."
For a good chunk of the city, the onus on residents doesn't even apply. "The 12-hour rule applies to anyone where the city doesn't clear sidewalks," said Mr. Welsh, adding that about three-quarters of the city's 8,000 kilometres of sidewalks are looked after by city workers. The burden of shovelling falls mainly on downtown residents. It all comes down to whether the snowplows can handle the job or not. In the core, many streets have narrow sidewalks and on-street parking, making it difficult to deposit the precipitation after plowing. If you live in this kind of area, get out your shovel.
On its website, the city has designated an area "where [the]vast majority of sidewalks cannot be plowed." This zone extends roughly from the lakeshore to Danforth Avenue, bound by Jane Street in the west and Victoria Park Avenue in the east, and also snaking northwest along the Don Valley to St. Clair Avenue West.
Mr. Welsh maintains the city has informed residents who live on a street that requires them to remove snow, but admitted that many may not be aware of the requirement. There is no street-by-street listing of sidewalks that must be scraped clean.
Sixty-nine-year-old Olga Friesen of Edmonton said earlier this week that she would rather spend a day in jail than pay an $85 fine issued to her last February for failing to clear her sidewalk. Ms. Friesen went to an Edmonton courthouse on Thursday, ready for incarceration, but was released after about 20 minutes' worth of paperwork was completed without visiting the inside of a jail cell.
Ms. Friesen, who is in good health and can afford to pay the fine, called the bylaw and its enforcement arbitrary and said the city should assume responsibility for clearing its sidewalks.
Mr. Welsh said Toronto bylaw-enforcement officers patrol the city's streets after snowfalls and handed out about 3,000 summons last year, each with a fine of $105. However, he indicated that officers would likely target only serious or repeat offenders.
Residents out of town during a snowfall or someone who shovelled early before the bulk of a storm hit could be let off the hook, Mr. Welsh said. He was quick to point out that any Toronto resident who is incapable of shovelling can call and have his or her sidewalk cleared by the city. Citizens who want to know if their street requires sidewalk clearing should call the transportation services department.
A map of Toronto's sidewalk-clearing boundaries is available at: http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/transportation/snow/clearing_ice_and_snow