Cambridge councillor looking to improve program helping older adults, those with special needs shovel snow
Posted Jan 20, 2022 08:00:00 PM.
Monday's big snowfall has dumped some extra 33 centimetres on the issue, but a Cambridge councillor has been looking to improve the city's winter maintenance program for over a year.
Cambridge bylaw requires residents to clear snow and ice from sidewalks within 36 hours of a snowfall and that isn't always easy to do for older adults and people with special needs.
“It starts snowing and you do get a lot of emails. You get a lot of calls,” said Ward 7 Councillor Scott Hamilton while on the Mike Farwell Show on CityNews 570 on Thursday
“One of them I heard pretty consistently was — my neighbour's not shovelling their sidewalk, but don't send bylaw after them because they need some help. They have physical issues, or they have cognitive issues, or they have special needs.”
Cambridge currently has a community support program to connect volunteers called “snow buddies” with people in need, but it isn't large enough.
Hamilton said, “I think there's only about 20 or 25 of these snow buddies, and there's more than 200 people on the list that need help. That's not including a lot of people out there that I've spoken with that have reached out to me, saying I didn't know this program existed.”
The councillor has put a motion to Cambridge council, asking it to look into options for implementation.
“There are a variety of different ways that I think funding can be allocated, but the big question is — who's actually going to provide the service? Will it be the community support connections, will it be the city, will it be another contractor?” asked Hamilton.
The councillor said improving this program might mean some extra cents in taxes for residents, but it will help an extra couple of hundred people.
He's also asked council to look into criteria determining who would receive service.
If Hamilton's motion passes, city staff will put together a report likely by early spring this year, and Hamilton is hoping this will mean something is in place in time for 2023.
