Home
How to participate
Snow Angels Winners
1. Q: What is Snow Angels?
A: Snow Angels is a social marketing campaign initiated by The City of Calgary, Community and Neighbourhood Sevices Seniors Services Division and Bylaw Services to raise awareness with the citizens of Calgary of the need to remember their neighbours when shovelling snow, especially if they're older adults or if they have health concerns that prevent them from clearing their own walks. Snow Angels is NOT a snow clearing program for older adults. It is a way to encourage people to be good neighbours.
2. Q: How do I become a Snow Angel?
A: You can become a Snow Angel by helping your elderly neighbours clear the snow off their sidewalks. Talk to your elderly neighbours. Offer to shovel the snow for them. Approach your community association to see if the community has a snow removal project or has considered developing a community based program to assist older adults.
3. Q: What do I get for being a Snow Angel?
A: There is no pay for being a Snow Angel. You get the satisfaction of knowing that you've made a difference in the life of an older adult who will be able to stay in the house they love for a longer period of time.
4. Q: Why is snow removal so important?
A: Snow that remains on sidewalks is a hazard to:
- persons who have limited mobility and are at risk for falls. Persons such as older adults or those who have disabilities may suffer severe injuries in a fall on ice and/or snow. A fall on an icy walk could lead to an injury that would prevent return to one's home.
- persons whose jobs require them to walk from house to house or who make home deliveries. Such persons deliver mail, read water/gas meters, voluntarily deliver for Meals-On-Wheels and visit those who are unable to get out.
5. Q: What are the hazards/health risks involved of snow removal?
A: The major health concerns arising from snow removal are muscle and back problems and heart attacks. It is suggested that people use caution by knowing proper body mechanics in shoveling and warming up with a sequence of stretches prior to shovelling snow. People with prior diagnoses of heart problems should use extreme caution. Another common risk in snow removal is falls on ice covered by snow.
6. Q: Who is responsible for snow removal?
A: According to the Streets Bylaw, residents are responsible for removing ice and snow from their sidewalks within 24 hours of a snowfall. If a sidewalk is not shovelled, The City may issue the resident a notice to clear the sidewalk within a certain time period. If the sidewalk is not cleared within that time, The City may have the snow and ice removed from the sidewalk at the property owner's expense. Actual costs vary depending on the length of the sidewalk and the amount of snow to be removed.
7. Q: Who can report a bylaw complaint?
A: Bylaw complaints may be reported by neighbours, meter readers, postal delivery persons, pedestrians
8. Q: Who is held liable when accidents or damage occurs due to snow on sidewalks?
A: This is not something that can be answered with a simple answer. In cases of snow and ice on city owned portions of sidewalks, the city can be held liable only if the injured party can prove "gross negligence." On private owned walkways, (portion leading to house from sidewalk) the homeowner could be liable. If there is a tenant, then it would depend on any contractual agreements between the owner and the tenant.
Contracts for maintenance with tenants, snow removal companies or other organizations can create complicated situations. Remember, every claim can be very different.
