Snow Angels is an awareness and recognition program. The program encourages citizens to voluntarily shovel snow for a neighbour in need. The program also allows individuals to recognize the volunteers who shovel their walkways by nominating them as Snow Angels with the City of Edmonton.

Unfortunately, the City is unable to match volunteers with seniors or persons with disabilities. To find a volunteer or a person who needs help with their snow shovelling, please check with your local community league, seniors centre, school, and religious or spiritual centre.

Becoming a Snow Angel is easy. Just shovel snow for a neighbour in need and ask them to nominate you by completing the nomination form online.

Looking for someone to help? Ask your local community league, seniors’ centre, school and religious or spiritual centre for suggestions.

There is no pay for being a Snow Angel, but if you are nominated by the person you’ve helped, you will receive a letter from the mayor and tickets to an Oil Kings game. Your name will also be entered into a draw to win some great prizes.

Plus, you will know that you have made a positive difference in the life of a senior or a person with disabilities.

You can nominate your volunteer as a City of Edmonton Snow Angel by emailing snowangels@edmonton.ca or calling 311.

Snow that remains on sidewalks is hazardous for everyone, but especially for people with limited mobility who may be severely injured from falling on ice or snow. Uncleared walkways also make it difficult for people who deliver services in our city - mail carriers, meter readers, delivery drivers, firefighters, and paramedics.

According to Community Standards Bylaw #14600, property owners are responsible to clear the public sidewalks around their property of all ice and snow. The City provides property owners a grace period of 48 hours from the time of the snowfall to have this completed.

If a sidewalk isn’t cleared, the City can issue the owner a notice to clear the sidewalk. If the owner doesn’t comply, the City can either issue a $100 fine or clear the sidewalk and bill the property owner for the service.

Bylaw complaints can be reported by neighbours, meter readers, postal delivery persons and pedestrians.

 

More than 140,000 seniors aged 55 and over live in Edmonton. Approximately 75% of seniors over 65 live in their own homes. As well, approximately 5% of the overall population aged 15 and older has severe or very severe disabilities. For these people, shovelling snow can be difficult or even dangerous.

They also help seniors and persons with disabilities meet their responsibility to remove snow and ice from their sidewalks as stipulated under the Community Standards Bylaw #14600. The City of Edmonton requires this to be completed within 48 hours of the snowfall.

Edmonton receives about 124 cm of snow per year according to Environment Canada.