I hope everyone takes advantage of our wonderful winter trails here in Bay Ward. Both the Britannia Winter Trail and the Ottawa West Winter Trail are in top condition for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, fat biking or walking. With cold temperatures you can choose to hibernate or come out and enjoy the sunshine and beautiful scenery in our communities. I hope you will join me in showing your support for the volunteers who make our winter trails a reality and help us embrace the winter.
Snowy days are great for our winter trail system and the cross-country skiing is fabulous right now but it’s not so great for walking on the streets and sidewalks around our communities. I heard concerns of unplowed sidewalks making it difficult if not downright unsafe to get around. Our maintenance crews were out dealing with a big dump of snow this past weekend and it took time to get it all cleared. I remain concerned that there needs to be more attention focused on the walkability in our neighbourhoods. Snow clearing comes at a cost and if we consider it a priority to expand our service, we will need to look at this for future budgets. Regardless, I will continue to advocate in prioritizing clearing sidewalks as well as residential streets with no sidewalks to make them safe for all. It is also important for residents to report any issues related to side or road winter maintenance and accessibility to the City by contacting 311 or my office so that it can be addressed as soon as possible.
