City of Cambridge looking to enhance snow clearing assistance program

On the eve of what is expected to be another major snowstorm, the City of Cambridge has approved a motion to improve their snow clearing program for those who have trouble doing so.

Any potential changes however, which still have to be approved by council, wouldn’t come into effect until next year.

Coun. Scott Hamilton's motion was passed unanimously at the Tuesday night meeting. It notes that clearing a sidewalk within 36 hours, as required by the city, can be difficult for seniors and those with physical or cognitive impairments.

"We look forward to supporting council as they look to develop a plan to better support residents in this area," said Sherry Roberts of the Cambridge Accessibility Advisory Committee.

Hamilton says the city's population has jumped by 28,000 in the last 16 years, but the city hasn't updated its $10,000 it provides to an existing assistance program.

"We're not talking about thousands of people out there, based on neighbouring municipalities, we're talking about hundreds that truly need help," said Hamilton. "I think it's worth it, frankly, for the number of people it would service for what I understand would be a very small cost to the taxpayer."

City staff will investigate options and report back to council later in the year, with the goal of an improved assistance program in place for 2023.