Carol O’Keefe, who is a caregiver for a 100 Mile House man, says she is very concerned about the “treacherous” shape the sidewalks, handicap parking stalls and business entrances are in during the winter months.
It was so bad last week, O’Keefe says she had put a piece of carpet on the ground so she could have secure footing to help her client get out of the vehicle during their medical visits throughout town.
“He can’t stand without his cane and he can’t get his cane until he’s out of the vehicle, and he can’t get out of the van without putting his foot on the ice. So, I use a carpet to get him out of the van and into his wheelchair.
She says the frustrating day started with a visit to the hospital where the handicap parking area was in horrendous shape. It was the same story at the bank and the other merchants they stopped to for business and medical purposes.
Not only did she have to deal with the icy conditions when she gets her client out of the van, but then she has to contend with getting him through the snow.
“The front wheels on the chair won’t go through the snow, so I have to pull him backwards all the way through the parking lot to wherever we’re going. Then you go in and tell the people they should do something about the situation, but no one seems to be interested.”
O’Keefe says she either gets no response to her concerns, or she’s told it’s either the district, the business owners or Interior Roads’ responsibility to clear the snow and ice away.
“That’s the problem. Nobody wants to take responsibility.”
O’Keefe says it’s extremely dangerous for able-bodied people to negotiate the parking lots around town that have turned into skating rinks, let alone people with mobility challenges.
It’s not a matter of people staying home, she adds, because they have to conduct necessary day-to-day business.
Because it’s a matter of accessibility, O’Keefe thinks the District of 100 Mile House should be responsible for clearing the handicap parking zones.
Donna Bellingham, district deputy director of corporate administration, says it is a bit confusing to know who is responsible for clearing sidewalks and handicap parking stalls.
The basic rule is if the parking lot, sidewalks and handicap parking stalls are on private property, it is the business owner’s responsibility to clear them. These would include the malls and strip malls within district boundaries.
But, district-maintained sidewalks and on-street handicap parking are the district’s responsibility.
Noting the district doesn’t have a specific snow removal bylaw, Bellingham says people or businesses can contact operations director Garry Laursen or operations superintendent Kevin Dickens either by going to the office at 385 Birch Ave. or calling 250-395-2434.
That way, she adds, staff will know where there are problems and deal with them as soon as possible, or if it’s on private property, they can direct them to the business owners.
