Edmonton city councillor pushing for better snow removal

Edmonton Ward Nakota Isg councillor, Andrew Knack is pushing for the city to look at the way and timeliness it removes snow through a new report expected sometime in 2022.

With the snow here to stay — one Edmonton city councillor is pushing for change when it comes to the timeliness it’s removed.

Ward Nakota Isg Coun. Andrew Knack took to social media on Saturday to say, “(Edmonton’s) snow clearing on active pathways and local roads is not good enough.”

“This is not due to the work of City staff. They are doing what they can with the resources available. This is due to a lack of equipment and staff,” his tweet said.

Knack pointed out that during his time on council there have been a few changes, such as the use of calcium chloride. While it made road safety better, it had a greater negative impact on public and private infrastructure. In the Fall of 2018, councillors ultimately voted against the continued use of it.

However, there hasn’t been enough done since then according to Knack — even as the city continues to grow.

“I think we talk about it every year because truly I don’t think we’ve been willing to resource it appropriately,” he told Global News.

During a summer council meeting, Knack said city council approved the new snow and ice control policy but he’s hoping a motion he put forward will have a real impact on the way the city looks at snow removal for years to come.

The motion asks that the city administration provide options to increase the service standard in the city snow and ice control procedure after considering the equipment, staffing and budget.