Sudbury to keep additional staff for winter sidewalk clearing

A committee in Greater Sudbury has voted to keep four additional staff to help clear sidewalks after storms this winter.

It won’t be long before winter arrives and crews in Greater Sudbury will be out clearing snow from streets and sidewalks.

With that in mind, the city’s operations committee has voted to extend a pilot project that adds three seasonal employees who focus on sidewalk maintenance, bringing the staff complement to 24.

“The calls I’ve been getting have been very supportive,” Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann told fellow councillors on the committee.

“People are understood and they feel that they’re concerns have been met and have been addressed with this particular program.”

Under the city’s system, sidewalks get plowed at eight cm of new snow and are typically fully cleared within 24 hours after a storm. Extra staff means sidewalks can get a second pass through by sidewalk plows.

“Although we are improving this, we will strive as best we can to meet the expectations,” said Ward 5 Mike Parent.

High expectations

“We’ve set high expectations (for) clearing sidewalks after a snow event. But there may be times where, due to staff not being available, that some sidewalks may go longer than continuous clearing of sidewalks in some areas.”

Last winter, 90 volunteers from across the city monitored sidewalk conditions following storms. That data was used to help staff.

“If the bank has been knocked over by the street plow, that additional plow will go by and clear that to make it easier for people to pass,” said Maria Bozzo, a volunteer with Greater Sudbury Safer Sidewalks.

“Clearing the ends of the intersection where, again, the street plow might have blocked off. That extra plow allows that to be cleared in a timely manner, which makes it easier for all of us to get around.”

“When the extra sidewalk pass goes through, the sidewalk conditions are better,” said Naomi Grant, another volunteer.

“The sidewalk conditions are better more frequently. People are able to use the sidewalks safely.”

There are 364 kilometres of sidewalks that must be maintained in Sudbury in the winter.

City staff will prepare a business case for the 2026 budget that would make the pilot project permanent.