NORTH BATTLEFORD — Brenda Pauls spent about an hour and a half at Valleyview Tower II last Friday clearing snow and ice from the front entrance of the housing unit. A friend of hers lives in the building and Pauls said she felt the front walkway was not safe enough for the seniors living there.
Several residents spoke with the News-Optimist as Pauls cleared snow and ice from the front entrance to the street, cleaning the area down to the concrete. They said they were told authority staff would get to it when they could.
One resident said his daughter had been clearing snow from the south door of the building, which is also the fire escape door, so that he could get to the parking lot. At one point, he said, it had been frozen shut.
There is also a concern about EMTs being able to get gurneys safely across snow and ice in a medical emergency.
Chair of the board for the Battlefords Housing Authority, Amber Stewart, spoke with the News-Optimist, saying they have four staff assigned to snow removal and they check conditions daily, keeping a log of their checks.
The authority is required to have snow removed from the main entrance of a facility such as Valleyview Tower II within 24 hours of a snowfall, and within 48 on public sidewalks, said Stewart, adding it’s not realistic to remove snow down to the concrete with every cleaning and they can only do so much with a crew of four.
Stewart also said there had been no complaints made to the housing authority office about snow removal. On Monday, she said information was being prepared to go out to all tenants so that they are aware of snow removal policies.
Video by Averil Hall / Freelance Photograph
