‘Snow moles’ survey slippery Ottawa sidewalks
A group of volunteers are taking aim at icy, snow-filled sidewalks that make it more difficult for seniors to get around in the winter, hoping the information they collect will power change.
The Council of Aging started the Snow Moles program — a band of volunteers who document the state and safety of Ottawa's sidewalks.
“We thought if we had volunteers who went out…and report on that, we'd get some idea, generally, across the city of how bad or how good things are,” said Dianne Breton, chair of the Snow Moles program.
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Breton says she thinks it's time the city take a closer look at the job its doing clearing Ottawa's sidewalks in the winter.
“The last time those (winter maintenence standards) were reviewed was 2003,” Breton told Ottawa Today with Mark Sutcliffe on 1310 NEWS. “So, we're advocating for a review of the winter maintenence standards.”
Breton also hopes that the information gathered by her volunteers will help result in higher sidewalk-clearing standards.
Listen to the full conversation with the Snow Moles' Dianne Breton on Ottawa Today with Mark Sutcliffe:
