Getting around Calgary during the winter months can be challenging at the best of times, but the accumulation of snow and ice along sidewalks and streets poses a major obstacle for those who rely on mobility aids.
Navigating snow and ice is a new challenge for Aaron Symonds, a cowboy who has been injured his entire life when he broke a horse.
This injury eventually caused his spinal cord to sever, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.
“I’ve been in the chair for about eight months now,” Symonds told Global News. “I had only been outdoors with stool for four or five months, and that’s where I really saw the problems.”
These problems have only been exacerbated by winter conditions, with about 20cm of snow falling in the city since late November.
In addition to the slush on the sidewalks, efforts to clear the snow resulted in ice and windrows accumulating at several crosswalks and bus stops along Symonds' route to work.
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“People who are on their feet can walk across this ice embankment that's two or a foot and a half high,” Symonds said. “Anyone who has a walker, wheelchair or knee walker will not be able to overcome this.”
Symonds modified his wheelchair for the winter to include wheels with better tread and larger casters to keep his feet a little further off the ground.
He said his neighbors did a great job of keeping their sidewalks barrier-free after the snowfall, but noted that he encountered ice buildup that blocked a Calgary Transit bus from accessing the sidewalk.
“I was able to ride in the back seat. I'm starting to learn how to use the seat,” Symonds said with a smile. “I rode in the back seat and jumped, but 99 percent of people who use wheelchairs couldn’t do that.”
The City of Calgary is operating on a council-mandated snow removal schedule, which sees crews spending the first 18 hours after a snowfall clearing and plowing Calgary's busiest routes.
Small crews are scheduled to begin clearing high-traffic sidewalks, pedestrian bridges, LRT platforms and other priority public areas within 24 hours.
Snow and ice accumulations and windrows along busy sidewalks and wheelchair ramps are typically cleared within 36 hours of a snowfall.
However, the snow plan is reset when snow starts falling again.
“When the snow starts again, it will push us back into those high priority areas,” said Chris McGeachie with the City of Calgary.
McGeachie encourages Calgarians to report obstructions and access issues to 311 to alert crews to a potential site that needs more attention.
“We actually have crews … with our big equipment, using hand-held equipment to keep people moving,” he said.
Symonds hopes crews can spend time in some areas to remove those barriers for those facing additional accessibility issues.
“I think we could do something,” he said. “Slowing down the cleaning a little, taking an extra minute to clear the entrances and exits.”
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