Get out and clear your walk, city says

Demand for compliance renewed after woman dies in slip-and-fall

A city official is urging Edmonton homeowners to make sure their sidewalks are free of ice and snow, following a woman’s death Saturday morning in a residential neighbourhood in the west end, where she slipped and hit her head.

“People need to recognize this is a public-safety issue,” said Ryan Pleckaitis, the city’s director of complaints and investigations. “Homeowners have to be diligent in making sure their walks are clear and safe for pedestrians.”

Police were called around 8 a.m. Saturday about a person lying on the sidewalk in the area of 154th Street and 99th Avenue, in the neighbourhood of West Jasper Place. When police arrived, they found an unresponsive woman in her late 50s. Police believe the woman slipped and fell, and say her death is not considered suspicious.

“The sidewalk where she was has some ice on it, so that’s what we’re looking at to determine if that may have contributed to her falling down,” Staff Sgt. Barry Maron said Saturday.

In his 13 years with the department, Pleckaitis said this is the first time he’s heard of such a death.

Since the first snowfall in early November, the city has recorded 7,600 complaints regarding icy sidewalks in front of residential and commercial properties.

The city’s Community Standards Bylaw says that homeowners have 48 hours after a snowfall to clear public sidewalks adjacent to land they own or occupy of ice and snow. Sidewalks should be cleared down to the pavement.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada warns homeowners and business owners they could be held liable if an injury occurs on or in front of their property. “It is everyone’s responsibility to keep sidewalks, driveways and walkways as clear as possible,” a news release issued last week said.

Pleckaitis said the city has changed how it gives homeowners warning notices this year, in an attempt to address complaints faster. Notices stating homeowners had seven days to comply and clear their sidewalks were typically mailed out. But this year, Pleckaitis said officers are experimenting with placing door hangers on problem residences. Officers then return in 48 hours to see if the homeowners have obeyed.

Non-compliance leads to an $100 ticket, and then the city will send out contractors to clear the walk and bill the homeowner. Pleckaitis said the bill usually comes in around $150 to $250. Since November, there have been 900 instances where this happened.

This winter’s freeze-thaw cycle has made for “ideal conditions” for slipping and falling, said Dr. Louis Francescutti, a University of Alberta professor of public health and an emergency room physician.

“What people have to realize is slipping can happen to anybody, at any time, anywhere. The conditions are so bad,” he said.