‘They’re very frustrated’: Saint John businesses concerned about icy sidewalks

The City of Saint John is stepping up ice-clearing efforts around the region.

Snow removal crews in Saint John still have plenty of work cut out for them as the city continues to clean up following the latest winter storm to hit the city.

Unlike previous storms this season where snow was the main issue, this time it is ice that is causing troubles for both drivers and pedestrians.

While some sidewalks around the city have received attention, many are still waiting for a first pass from a sidewalk plow. Even those that have been touched once still remain icy due to the thick layer created by Sunday’s freezing rain.

In uptown Saint John, the most foot trafficked area of the city, many sidewalks are still icy leading some pedestrians to walk on the road.

Nancy Tissington is the executive director of the Uptown Saint John Business Improvement Association. She says she has been hearing from businesses about the ice issues.

“I’d like to see the schedule,” Tissington says of the city’s sidewalk plows. “I’d like to understand the prioritization as well, not just for these types of storms that are really unusual with the cold winds and the fast freeze, which is really hard to get a hold of, but also any other time. When is it that we can expect to have snow removal happen?”

Tissington says the city’s most high-trafficked streets should receive extra attention.

“The city has put out a piece about [the sidewalks being] very treacherous,” she said. “That’s good for the first day or two and after that, when you’re in the central business district, we’re hoping to see more love up here and we’re not quite getting that. I would say that [business owners] going over snowbanks and trying to get through to the stores, they’re very frustrated.”

Saint John Public Works Director Tim O’Reilly told CTV News earlier this week it will take days, if not “a week or two,” to get the streets and sidewalks back to normal.

Thursday marked the first day of daytime street closures as city staff works to remove snow from neighbourhoods. Parking bans were also issued for St. John Street, Forbes Drive, Tartan Street, Piper Court, and Lauder Court from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. as snow was removed from the area with larger blowers and dump trucks.

On Friday the city will turn its attention to Adelaide Street and St. John Street – from Watson Street to Market Place. Vehicles remaining on those streets between 7 a.m. and 7 pm. will be subject to a fine and could potentially be towed.

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