Take this snow and shovel it.
City of North Vancouver residents are now required to clear their sidewalks 24 hours after flakes stop falling or before the snow measures 10 centimetres, following a unanimous city council vote April 8.
However, the snow may pile up faster than $100 fines as Mayor Linda Buchanan suggested tickets be used as a “last resort.”
While pockets of Central Lonsdale were “very difficult to navigate in the winter of 2016-17, North Vancouver has generally seen pretty good compliance without ticketing, according to city engineer Doug Pope.
“I haven’t seen us issue a ticket in my time here,” he said.
Council could instruct staff to take a more punitive approach to snow scofflaws, noted community development director Gary Penway.
“It’s a question of how much council wants us to perform the big brother role,” he said, adding staff have generally emphasized education.
Buchanan noted the challenge of clearing snow from the city’s approximately 179 kilometres of sidewalk.
“We don’t have enough staff to clear every road or sidewalk on time for every situation,” she said. “We all need to take some responsibility.”
The city’s previous bylaw was too vague to withstand a court challenge, according to a staff report that noted the bylaw was: “silent as to frequency and timing.”
While the new bylaw “has the potential to increase public expectations for stricter enforcement,” city staff will continue to ask for “voluntary compliance.” Staff will also ensure residents have enough time to clear the sidewalks, taking into account “the timing of snow events on weekends and statutory holidays,” according to the report.
Sidewalk shoveling is the responsibility of the “adjacent owner or occupier,” according to the city’s bylaws. Generally, the city is liable in the event someone is injured on an icy sidewalk, according to city staff.
The city is responsible for clearing snow from plazas, bike lanes and other civic pathways.
The city’s bylaw is consistent with rules in West Vancouver. The District of North Vancouver’s snow clearing bylaw applies to commercial and multi-family residential properties, exempting most single-family neighbourhoods.
