Stephen Robinson is swamped in snow. That’s because the local entrepreneur has been busy removing windrows in front of residents’ homes in several Edmonton neighbourhoods for the last week and a half. “As I go into neighbourhoods, more neighbours keep coming out (to hire him),” Robinson told CTV News Edmonton on Thursday as he operated machinery in the Jackson Heights area of Mill Woods. “It’s non-stop. I’ll plan to do three, four houses. I end up doing 10.” The increase of work for Robinson comes as city crews work around the clock clearing residential roads after a Phase 2 parking ban was declared on Monday. The Phase 2 ban will last 14 days from Monday, unless the city gets hit with another snowfall. The city will post yellow parking ban signs at major entrances to neighbourhoods to signal that crews will soon work on their roads. The signage is put up at least 24 hours ahead of work starting. The windrows are left behind by the city’s large graders “I feel like the neighbourhood hero here, with all the smiles and treats I’ve been getting,” said Robinson, who charges between $50 and $150 to clear away snow. “I’m happy to do it.” Vehicles left on the street make the process of clearing residential roads more challenging. Fines for disobeying the parking ban start at $250. Mayor Andrew Knack on Tuesday threatened an increase in enforcement for vehicle owners violating the ban. “There’s really no excuse,” Knack said. “We’ve been exercising a lot of grace over the last number of years. I think now it’s time to take the next step of enforcement because it just frustrates everyone.” But in late 2022, Edmonton’s city council cut enforcement funding from $1.2 million dollars annually to less than $300,000. A report that city councillors will discuss next week says the cut “resulted in a reduction of enforcement staff from 15 officers and two clerks to five officers and one clerk.” “When we go through this upcoming four-year budget deliberations and talk about how we’re going to reprioritize and invest in things like snow removal, I think that needs to come with better investment in the enforcement side,” Knack said. That new snow and ice budget could also include neighbourhood windrow removal. A parking ban is in effect 24 hours a day and remains in place until snow removal work in the neighbourhood is finished. The city offers an online map/schedule for anticipated snow-clearing dates and progress.
