People with mobility issues struggle to navigate sidewalks as cities rush to clear snow

When Liisa Nisula left her home in east Toronto for a medical appointment, the snow-covered sidewalks were so impassable for her walker that she was forced to go out into the street.

"I was using the road and like preparing myself to have an altercation with drivers," she said.

It got easier once she made it by transit to St. Michael's Hospital in the downtown core.

"This looks pretty good," the 66-year-old said, glancing at the plowed sidewalk on one of Toronto's main streets — a sharp contrast to the mounds of snow with narrow, slippery footpaths cutting through them on other sidewalks nearby.

"I was kind of expecting it to be good because it's a hospital," she said.

A couple of blocks away, Neil Thomas stood in the snow and slush piled on the corner of a side street.

The 62-year-old, who is temporarily homeless and staying at a shelter, said making his way on foot with his walking stick was "very rough."

It can be especially treacherous "if you don't have the proper bottom on your stick (for traction)," Thomas said.

"Luckily I just had shoes given to me that fit right and have a very good grip on them," he said, noting that he was on his way to the hospital's fracture clinic for a checkup after slipping on ice and breaking his shoulder three weeks ago.

In Montreal, 58-year-old MaryAnn Davis has been stuck in her home since last Saturday, unable to get to her volunteer position in palliative care.

"The thing is that they haven't done the sidewalks," she said in a telephone interview Wednesday evening.

"I've developed balance problems and I can't walk if the ground is uneven — even with a cane."

Back-to-back snowstorms in the last week dumped record amounts of snow in Ontario and Quebec, wreaking havoc on roads, sidewalks and driveways. The city of Toronto says it will be three weeks before the snow is fully cleared and a spokesperson for the city of Montreal said Wednesday it will take at least a week there.

Barbara Gray, Toronto's general manager of transportation services, said in an interview on Wednesday that the city is "very concerned about accessibility" and is prioritizing calls to its 311 customer service line from people — including those with disabilities and seniors — having difficulty getting around.