'It's like walking the tightrope': Visually impaired woman calls for better snow clearing in St. John's
Anne Malone says the city is discriminating against disabled people by not clearing sidewalks
It's that time of year when driveways are shoveled out, the ground is salted, and the cycle repeats itself to no end. St. John's residents are familiar with the routine.
But it's not so easy for people like Anne Malone, who has a visual impairment.
She has been essentially homebound since this winter's first snowstorm in early February.
"It took me more than half an hour to take a walk that would normally take about 10 minutes," Malone said, recalling her attempt of leaving the house for the first time since the snowfall two weeks ago.
She walks with a navigation aid in her hand and her guide dog, Purdy, at her side.
There is not a single accessible neighbourhood in this city.- Anne Malone
Malone said she has to scramble to avoid the piling snow and ice walking outside — that's if there is any room on the sidewalk.
"It's like walking the tightrope," said Malone.
That tightrope has become a tiring one for Malone to tread, dealing with poor accessibility year after year.
"I say to the city, look at the burden that you are placing on us for such a basic service," Malone said.
"When one category of people is denied such a basic service that other categories of people have access to, that's discrimination."
Malone has been using a guide dog for 13 years. She said she's been advocating for increased accessibility for people with disabilities ever since.
She is frustrated that she still has to mentally prepare herself to leave her house after a snowfall, and that she has to assess the risk of walking to the grocery store, which is only 700 metres away.
"There is not a single accessible neighbourhood in this city," Malone said.
The St. John's woman had a close call last year when she found herself walking on King's Bridge Road, a high-traffic area near Quidi Vidi Lake, because the sidewalk was covered in snow.
She said she was pinned against a snow bank with her dog before a friend drove past her and picked her up.
When St. John's Mayor Danny Breen was asked about snow piling up on sidewalks, he said, "it was interesting you brought that up because I had actually compliments from people [...] those corners were actually cleared out this year a lot better than they had [been] in previous years."
Breen said he understands the concerns and frustration when sidewalk clearing doesn't happen quickly enough.
Although this winter's snow came late, Breen said the city's snow clearing budget is fixed and therefore there would not be a surplus of money to get extra work done.
He added that the city has purchased new equipment this year and has added one extra sidewalk clearing shift to its operations.
"The work done by our accessibility team has identified sidewalks as one of the things that we want to maintain," said Breen. "We're paying more and more attention to that, but I do understand as well that it doesn't always work."
The CNIB has called for better snow clearing in St. John's, issuing a press release Tuesday.
WATCH | Walking or waiting for the bus? This advocate says St. John's roads aren't safe:
"Snow and ice-covered pathways are more than just a safety hazard; they prevent people with disabilities from accessing their communities, undermining their independence and ability to carry out daily activities," the statement said.
"Snow removal is an accessibility issue, a mobility issue, and a human rights issue."
The organization launched their SnoWay advocacy campaign in 2024, which aims to make municipalities aware of "their responsibility to clear snow and ice from paths of travel."
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With files from The St. John's Morning Show
