The first major winter storm was December 6. I went out on the 7th to see how St. John’s is living up to its commitment to be a “city for all seasons”, “support year round active transportation”, and “promote active and healthy living.” I live downtown, which is a priority area for sidewalk snow clearing, and at first it looked pretty good:
The sidewalk on Queen’s Rd. was perfect. Just a little further on, however, there were two problems:
First problem: The street plows push the snow back onto the sidewalk, which means pedestrians have to walk right where that truck is. Bad enough for a walker but what about someone using a wheelchair or pushing a child in a stroller? (Later on, I went out in my car and saw a man pulling two small children on a toboggan along Empire Avenue, where there was no sidewalk at all.)
Second problem: people parking on the sidewalk. Sidewalks are so frequently unusable that drivers assume they won’t be used and feel free to park there. Why wouldn’t they when the City itself uses them as a dumping ground for snow?
Road Rage 
One winter sidewalk that has always frustrated me is that in front of the War Memorial. It is never cleared. I believe it’s a federal responsibility? Surely to god they could pay someone for an hour’s work. Disrespectful to pedestrians and veterans alike.
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Funny how they were at war for years with skateboarders there because it was supposed to be disrespectful to veterans. Maybe now its considered disrespectful even to walk nearby.
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