Unlike the City of Brantford, Sault Ste. Marie can't afford to provide free removal of snow windrows for seniors, City Council will be told tonight.
"At this time and with current funding, Sault Ste. Marie would not be able to follow the Brantford model with regards to snow and windrow removal due to the significant differences in accumulation," Tom Vair, the Sault's deputy chief administrative officer for community development and enterprise services, says in a memorandum to Mayor Provenzano and city councillors,
"Sault Ste. Marie typically receives 81 days with snow, accumulating 320.7 centimetres along with a continuation of sub-zero temperatures," Vair says.
"In comparison,
Brantford's snow windrow removal service helps seniors aged 65 years or older and residents with disabilities or medical conditions to clear windrows – the piles of snow left at the bottom of a driveway after snow plows have cleared the road.
City of Brantford reserves the right to say when the snow windrow service will happen, and only windrows higher than 10 centimetres are removed.
Brantford dispatches contractors and tries to have the work done within 20 hours after road-plowing has stopped.
In March, Ward 2 councillor Susan Myers and her Ward 1 counterpart Paul Christian asked that the Brantford model be considered for Sault Ste. Marie.
In recent years, the City of Sault Ste. Marie has paid $50,000 to the Canadian Red Cross to support residential snow removal for seniors 60 years or older.
Earlier this year, Victorian Order of Nurses took over delivery of the service.
If they are able, seniors are expected to pay $20 a visit for snow removal.
Otherwise, a means test is administered to determine whether they qualify for city assistance.
Help is provided only when Sault snowfall is five centimetres or deeper.
Today's meeting of City Council will be livestreamed on SooToday starting at 4:30 p.m.