Snow removal becomes hot-button issue in Saskatoon's municipal election

This week's snowstorm has made snow removal a hot (or cold) topic with Saskatoon's civic election set to conclude tomorrow.

Incumbent mayoral candidate Charlie Clark said the city's priority has been to get residents out of their neighbourhoods.

"We have just had the biggest snowstorm in 13 years," Clark said. "This is more than double the snow and we are doubling our efforts to deal with it."

City administration said it is taking the unprecedented step of plowing and removing all residential streets in the next nine days.

Clark said he and councillors had a briefing with administration on Wednesday to communicate what was happening to residents.

Some mayoral challengers say that shows a lack of planning leading up to the snowstorm.

"This is a very, very clear lack of planning and preparedness," said candidate Rob Norris. "This is a real lack of co-ordination and a very obvious lack of clear communication."

Candidate Don Atchison also said there hasn't been enough communication between the city and residents when it comes to cleaning up after the storm.

"Where were the briefings? Why were the people not being told what was going on along the way? If you look at the provincial government with COVID, they do that on a regular basis. Why wasn't the city doing this?" Atchison asked.

The city has hired private contractors to help with the work and is actively looking for more.

Mayoral candidate Cary Tarasoff said it should be redirecting money to clear streets instead of bike lanes.

"The city didn't know or the city wasn't prepared [for the storm]," Tarasoff said. "Now, Thursday, they're asking everybody with as much as a bobcat to go in and start to help.

"That's unacceptable," he said.

All three challengers questioned why bike lanes were being cleared before all of the roads had been done.

Clark defended the clearing of bike lanes and Meewasin Trail.

"It's a different contract that's done on its own [with] separate timelines and priorities based on the other, you know, the street clearing and snow clearing," he said. "I understand it creates frustration, especially because the bike lanes are already so polarizing. And then suddenly somebody can't get out of their house and they see a bike lane cleared. I understand why people want to point to that."

Paul Miazga, who is running for council in Ward 5, said the city should have had a contingency plan already in place to plow all city streets.

He said people in Ward 5 haven't seen a snow plow come down their residential streets in years.

"In a once-in-a-13-year snowfall like this, you should think the city would have a contingency plan," he said. "Especially at a time when you get a civic vote coming up."

Miazga said the city should use more private contractors.

"I don't see why it would necessarily cost more money," he said. "It doesn't necessarily mean that we're reducing jobs at city hall as much as we're involving the private sector more to get the city running."

Clark said if he is re-elected they will have a full review of the snow response to find out how the city can respond more quickly and efficiently.

Bigger snow budget?

Norris has pledged to keep tax increases to one per cent or less and doesn't think the snow budget needs to be increased.

"Right now, I don't see any evidence that what's going on is connected to a budgetary issue," Norris said.

"This is actually a leadership issue here, lack of planning and preparedness, including out of the mayor's office, a lack of coordination and a severe lack of communication." 

Clark said the city has overhauled the way it does snow clearing to be more efficient.

"We have almost doubled the snow clearing budget from $6.8 million in 2010 to $13.4 million in 2020," Clark said.

"This storm emphasized how critical it is to have the appropriate resources in place to address these kinds of emergencies.

"This is why it's so important to have sufficient funds in our operating budget and why reducing a property tax increase to one per cent or lower would bring risk to the city being able to adequately respond in an ongoing and emergency work like this."

Atchison said that while it is true the city is spending more money on snow removal overall, he questioned how much more it was percentage wise and on a per capita basis.

Clark said the cost to expand snow clearing and removal to residential streets would be significant.

Friday's election

Voters can use any of seven polling locations Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST:

• Cosmo Civic Centre.
• Lawson Civic Centre.
• Lakewood Civic Centre.
• Shaw Centre.
• City Hall.
• Prairieland Park.
• Ebenezer Baptist Church in Silverspring.

Election Day Reminders:

• Print and fill out a voter registration form to save time at the polling location
• Bring your own pen to mark your ballot
• Wear a mask and practice physical distancing

For more information on the 2020 Civic Election, including locations and ID requirements, visit saskatoon.ca/vote2020.