Messy winter sidewalks in Saint John frustrate wheelchair users: 'It's scary'

The messy sidewalks after a storm can be a burden for anyone looking to use them, but for Shawna Morgan of Saint John, it's dangerous. 

She had to drive her power wheelchair down the side of King Street on Thursday because the sidewalk was impassable for a wheelchair user. 

And on Wednesday, Morgan said she had to cancel a medical appointment because she just couldn't get there with the sidewalk conditions. 

"It's hard enough to find the medical care that you need when you have a disability," said Morgan, who said not being able to get where she needs to can be incredibly isolating.

"There are so many social situations we could be out doing. We could be a part of society, if only society would allow us to be."

Morgan said she has brought her concerns to the City of Saint John, but she still continues to face issues with sidewalk accessibility after storms. 

She uses her chair to travel to nearby places in the uptown area, but takes the bus for other situations. Still, even the bus stops can be a challenge if not dug out, she said.

Tim O'Reilly, public works director for the city, said in an email that the city met many of the service standards in its winter management plan after the last storm. He said the city responded early and continuously. 

The heavy overnight snowfall into Monday morning closed schools and affected the roads.  

O'Reilly said the warmer temperatures that preceded this storm, followed by extreme cold, presented a significant challenge, "which caused some snow to remain on streets and sidewalks."

The City of Saint John's winter management plan says the 2025 winter operations budget includes $5,509,023 for snow and ice control on streets, and $1,197,741 for sidewalks. 

Sidewalk clearing separated into 4 priorities

The clearing of sidewalks is broken down into four groups — Priority 1 for major retail areas and bus stops, Priority 2 for immediate school areas, Priority 3 for arterial streets and and Priority 4 for local or subdivision streets.

Stacey Howe, a power wheelchair user who lives in Uptown Saint John, said she wants to see the winter management plan revisited. 

Howe had to miss a day of work this week — only five minutes from her residence using her chair — and had to find people to walk her service dog because the sidewalks were impassable, she said.

When she called the city about it, she said she was told her street has a Priority 4 sidewalk, which requires basic pedestrian passage within three days of a storm, and salt or sand applied within four days.

Howe said she thinks when the street priority levels were chosen, the locations of accessible housing units in the city should have been considered.

"It's frustrating and it's scary as well, like, to have to drive in the middle of the road pretty much," she said.

Jeff Sparks, another power wheelchair user, said he understands the city's perspective and that it's difficult to clear all of the sidewalks in a short period of time. But he said there needs to be a balance.

On Wednesday, Sparks said he had a haircut appointment in the uptown area, but had to cancel because the sidewalks were too bumpy and ice-packed. 

"Not only did that have an impact on my quality of life to be able to keep personal appointments, it will also have an impact on small businesses because my barber lost an appointment this week," said Sparks.

Saint John resident Marisa Hersey-Misner, who is legally blind, said initially after the storm, her sidewalk was cleared, but as the roads were plowed, snow was pushed back onto the sidewalk, making it difficult to navigate. 

She noticed similar challenges with a storm after Christmas, when she was trying to access Leinster Court with her mother, who has mobility challenges and is also legally blind.

"Leinster Court had all their sidewalks or their steps and things like that all shoveled, however, I couldn't get into Leinster Court because the sidewalks were not even cleared for about a week," she said.

Hersey-Misner serves as the chair of the Saint John ability advisory committee, a group supported by the city, and through that role, she has heard similar concerns from other residents, especially those with mobility issues. 

Coun. Paula Radwan also sits on the committee as a non-voting member, and she said it is quite evident that a lot of the sidewalks were not cleared within 24 or even 48 hours.

According to the winter management plan, the city services 225 kilometres of sidewalk, or 55 per cent of the city's sidewalks.

Radwan said, according to the city's 10-year strategic plan, the goal is to bring that to 75 per cent by 2026.

Making sure the sidewalks are clear is a big priority for her, but she said the issue is that with more than $6 million already going toward snow removal, she doesn't see an area to take from, in terms of increasing that budget. 

Ultimately, she wants to see tax reform from the province, which would include the transfer of provincial property taxes on heavy industry to municipalities. 

"We need tax reform, because we do have more needs that the residents deserve," said Radwan.

For Howe, she said she recognizes the size of the city and the money are challenges. But she wants people to realize that those with disabilities rely on sidewalks to get to and from places.

"I don't want any extra special treatment," said Howe. "I just want to be able to live my life just like everybody else."