Snow-covered streets in Thunder Bay, Ont., spark concerns about winter accessibility
CBC
With 30 centimetres of snow recorded in Thunder Bay, Ont., since Tuesday night, disability advocates say those with mobility challenges have had no choice but to stay home.
A yellow-coded winter storm warning was first issued Tuesday night by Environment and Climate Change Canada and ended on Thursday night. The next morning, a snowfall warning was put in place for the Thunder Bay, Nipigon, Rossport, Armstrong and Beardmore areas.
The first weather event resulted in between 24 and 32 centimetres of snow. Now, up to 20 more centimetres of snow is expected this weekend.
“People are not able to leave their houses and their living situations because of the snow and how unreliable plowing has been,” said Jennie Gibbons, executive director of the Independent Living Resource Centre in Thunder Bay.
“We do see people in [wheelchairs] going in the middle of the road because sidewalks aren't plowed, and I think that's a huge safety issue.”
The Independent Living Resource Centre, located on the city’s south side, supports people with any disability. It offers employment programs, funding for people to hire their own care attendants, an essential products cabinet, and a lending library for air quality equipment.
“We've been seeing a lack of people coming to our centre just because in the winter, that's just not something they're able to do,” Gibbons said. “It’s really challenging to get around and a lot of times, people just don't leave.”
The weather has affected people’s ability to access the essentials, like food and medical appointments, “but also just fun things like hanging out with their friends or seeing family,” she said.
“It's really isolating for people that can't get out.”
While no one can control the weather, Gibbons said she’d like to see sidewalks given as much priority for snow clearing as roads.
“I think sidewalks are just as important in maintaining,” she said, “so people feel like they're able to make their own decisions based off of what they want to do instead of when plowing happens.”
The City of Thunder Bay has more than 60 snow plows for its roads and sidewalks, says roads manager Ian Spoljarich.
People can use the city’s interactive snowplow status map online to see when streets were last serviced.
Spoljarich said the city’s main line roads are given top priority, as well as arterial collector streets and transit routes.
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With 30 centimetres of snow recorded in Thunder Bay, Ont., since Tuesday night, disability advocates say those with mobility challenges have had no choice but to stay home.
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