Bridgeburg raises concerns about uncleared sidewalks and parking

After days of heavy snowfall, residents raised concerns online last week about walking and parking conditions in the north end of town, prompting questions about who clears snow on Jarvis Street and nearby sidewalks.

The Town of Fort Erie says responsibility rests with municipal crews operating under a council approved winter plan that does not change during severe weather.

Some business owners in Bridgeburg needed to shovel their own front sidewalks after suffering decreases in foot traffic.

Dana Nadeau, owner of the Manic Maker on Jarvis Street, said the recent storm created conditions she had not seen in four years operating downtown.

Benches along Jarvis Street were fully buried and snowbanks left businesses with no space to relocate cleared snow, forcing Nadeau and husband Jon to shovel repeatedly just to keep entrances open.

She said criticism aimed at municipal crews did not reflect what she observed once the scale of the problem became clear.

“I don’t get angry at the town when it doesn’t get done as quickly as everybody would hope, because when they got to it, they did a really awesome job,” Nadeau told Fort Erie Radio, referencing efforts taken over the weekend to clear key Fort Erie business areas.

Crews required several days to clear the area because vehicles had to be removed before heavy equipment and manual labour could operate safely.

“I don’t think people really realize what a huge undertaking it is to get the street cleared of vehicles,” she said.

Foot traffic dropped at the Manic Maker during the storm as residents followed winter weather warnings, though the business remained open.

“There was definitely less foot traffic, and that’s to be expected,” Nadeau said.

Fort Erie Radio asked the Town of Fort Erie about its snow removal operations, to which communications manager Kevin Beauchamp said all roads, sidewalks and municipal parking lots in Bridgeburg fall under the same winter maintenance rules set out in the 2024-2028 Winter Operations Plan and Ontario’s Minimum Maintenance Standards.

Under the plan, snow removal on some streets does not begin until accumulation reaches one metre and creates visibility or drainage problems. The threshold applies town wide and does not vary by neighbourhood or business district.

Beauchamp said the Town does not adjust service levels based on business impact or accessibility complaints and has no plans to revise its approach for Bridgeburg.

“The Town does not provide incentives, assistance or support as we already provide sidewalk plowing and sanding,” said Beauchamp.

Winter maintenance is handled by the roads division with help from other departments during extended storms. The Town operates seven combination plow trucks, one loader plow, six contracted loader plows and five contracted sidewalk plows.

The Town reviews its winter operations plan every four years and says revisions occur only when required to meet provincial standards or account for new infrastructure.

No changes are planned for the current winter season.

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