While residents of Calgary have been enjoying nice warm weather, the upturn in temperatures comes with a price with the freezing cold overnight.
The problem is that all the melting snow is quickly turning into ice at night, becoming a sheet of ice to greet walkers in the morning.
Alberta Health Service says they’re seeing a lot more pedestrians and cyclists coming into the emergency rooms with injuries suffered during falls.
Bylaw officers say they’re also dealing with an increase in work, dealing with a list of complaints of icy sidewalks.
“Injuries from slip and falls are what we’re looking to avoid,” says Brandon Bobier with Calgary Bylaw. “The sooner you can remove the snow and ice, the less like it is to become an icy patch that is going to be of concern, which is why we want to get to it in that 24 hours after a snowfall because then we avoid the melting and the ice where it will become a serious issue.”
Bobier says that residents who fail to clear their icy sidewalk after the original complaint is filed will have contractors come in to do the job, but you will be billed for their service. That bill could cost as much as $800.
In 2014, the AHS says they dealt with 17,000 injuries related to slip and falls.
