ST. PAUL - The first big snowfall of the season has arrived, bringing about a reminder that some people in the community require help through the winter months to keep snow cleared from driveways, walkways and sidewalks.
The Town of St. Paul FCSS department helps coordinate the Snow Angels program each year, although the initiative is very much driven by volunteers who are self-motivated to help when needed.
Brenda Billo, program assistant with the Town FCSS department says there are usually about 20 people registered for the program who require help after each snowfall.
If a resident requires help, the first step is to access a snow angel sign. Residents in need can fill out a form online, or stop by the Town of St. Paul FCSS office to fill out the form and pick up a sign. When a resident gets a Snow Angels sign to display on their front yard, they are then added to a map that is accessible to those who are wanting to help out.
Prior to the snowstorm that began on Nov. 15, there were just a handful of signs distributed throughout town. But, the number will likely change following the storm that continued on into Nov. 16 bringing plenty of heavy snow.
There is no charge to be part of the program, however the initiative is based on volunteers in the community lending a helping hand, says Billo. Those accessing the program may be elderly, have mobility issues, or could be recuperating from an illness or surgery.
Volunteers who would like to help out can access the map online through the Town of St. Paul's website. Volunteers can also call the FCSS office to have their names added to a list to be contacted when someone is in need of help.
Snow Angels can also be nominated for their hard work and have their names put into a monthly draw.
The Town of St. Paul FCSS office can be reached by phone at 780-645-5311.
Snow and ice clearing in town
The Town of St. Paul has a Snow and Ice Clearing policy that not only ranks the areas where snow will be removed by the municipal public works crew, but also states residents' responsibilities.
"It is the responsibility of the residents, institutions, and businesses to adequately remove all snow and ice from adjacent sidewalks within 48 hours of a snow fall as per the Town of St. Paul’s Traffic Control Bylaw," according to the policy.
A "major snowfall" as defined in the policy is one where there is 12 cm of snow that falls within a 24-hour period. While an official tally has yet to be determined, the weather alert for the region from Environment Canada stated 20 to 30 cm was expected.
On Tuesday, the weather alert asked people to "consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve."
