The weather outside is frightful, but that doesn't mean we can all hide away inside where it is warm.
The City of Burnaby is reminding residents and businesses to shovel the snow from walkways near their property for the safety of other residents, particularly seniors, children and people with disabilities.
The city has asked that people keep sidewalks and driveways clear, and make sure not to shovel snow into the road as this interferes with drainage.
The city's website provides information on snow removal in Burnaby, telling residents to make sure storm drains and fire hydrants are clear of snow, to reduce the risk of flooding and make sure fire hydrants are accessible, and that warm or hot water should not be used to clear ice or snow.
Businesses are expected to remove any accumulated snow from sidewalks bordering their property by 10 a.m. on any day the business is open or the area is occupied by the public.
The city suggests that people keep a shovel and a bag of salt handy in the winter, pile snow on their property when shovelling, keep an emergency kit for their homes and cars, keep children off snow piles or roadside snow banks, check on neighbours in need of assistance, and take transit during bad weather whenever possible.
The city's priority is to keep main routes and emergency response routes clear, bus routes and collector streets, streets near seniors' and long-term care facilities, roads with slopes with only one outlet, and then roads near elementary schools, according to the website.
The city also prioritizes sidewalk cleaning, focusing on bus stops and wheelchair ramps first, then sidewalks near city facilities, and then pedestrian overpasses.
The city has posted an advisory on its website that green waste will not be picked up today, Dec. 19, in the garbage pick-up Zone E section of South Burnaby. Garbage and recycling will be picked up today, but green waste will be picked up by the end of the week, according to the city.
Residents are invited to take part in Burnaby's Snow Angel program by adopting a sidewalk for a neighbour in need and keeping it clear for them over the winter. For more information, contact Kathy Wipf, the snow angel program coordinator, at [email protected].
For more tips and updates, go to www.burnaby.ca.
