Plow operator training on accessibility undergoing review and update to improve service, City of Winnipeg says

The City of Winnipeg has announced crews will plow residential streets after complaints and concerns piled up following a recent snowfall and some hope accessibility will play a bigger role in snow clearing going forward.

The City of Winnipeg has announced crews will plow residential streets after complaints and concerns piled up following a recent snowfall and some hope accessibility will play a bigger role in snow clearing going forward.

Nancy Gabriel uses a walker and rides the bus. She found it difficult to get around Winnipeg following the recent snowfall, which saw the city blanketed with between 10 and 20 centimetres, depending on the area, from Nov. 10 to 11.

“Sometimes my husband has to carry my walker and I struggle to walk,” Gabriel said.

She’s not alone.

Vivi Dabee is the program lead for advocacy and community outreach with CNIB in Winnipeg. Dabee said for people with sight loss, winter conditions make it more difficult to navigate the city.

“It’s very debilitating if you can’t get out of your home just to walk down to the corner store to just get some necessary items that you may need because your street isn’t plowed,” Dabee said, adding plowing streets is about more than just making it easier for vehicles to get around.

“If you live in an area where there is no sidewalk and the streets don’t get plowed it’s difficult as a person with sight loss to determine where the curb ends and the street begins and you could potentially be walking into danger,” Dabee said.