CORNER BROOK — Getting around Corner Brook with all the snow that’s fallen in the last couple of weeks can be tricky for motorists and pedestrians alike.
But for people who use the 11 public stairways spread out over the city it can be downright impossible.
Rayna Luther, the city’s assistant director of operational services, said maintaining these stairways is the responsibility of the city and that includes keeping them clear of snow.
However, the steps do take a backseat to other priority snowclearing efforts, like plowing the city’s streets.
“I can’t really put a time limit on it,” said Luther. “We do clear them in the winter as we have people available.”
Luther said the stairways, including one on Hospital Hill, three on the westside and seven in Curling, were originally put in for easier access to those areas.
She doesn’t know how much use they get nowadays, but said for the one or two people that do use them they are very important.
But with the snow that’s fallen, she said it could take a bit of time to get someone out to clear them.
Luther noted a closed sign posted on the stairway connecting Birchy Cove Drive to Woodcrest Drive was not placed there because of the snow on the steps.
Luther said this stairway was closed for safety reasons after workers noticed that the railings were in poor condition.
She said the plan is to reopen the stairway, but it depends on when the city can get back to do the repairs.
“To get a full assessment of them we’d like for the snow to melt away from them so we can see exactly what we’re dealing with, rather than just patch them up and have them open again. We want to be able to check all the stair treads and the rails.”
For that reason, Luther doesn’t expect that stairway to open again before spring, unless a mild spell occurs to permit the work.
Meanwhile, the city has added a feature to its website providing some answers to the most frequently asked snowclearing questions.
“We’re using it as an educational piece, so hopefully it might reduce some of the complaints calls that we’re getting by getting that information out there,” said Luther.
City stairways:
— Hospital Hill
— Gibbons Avenue to Golden Glow
— Stratton’s Road to Webster Place
— Cabot Lane to Broadway
— Birchy Cove Drive to Woodcrest Drive
— Near 48 Birchy Cove Drive
— Quigley Place to Joyce Place
— Brosnan Street to Basha Place
— Brosnan Street to Curling Street
— Curling Street to O’Briens Lane
— Curling Street to Leggo’s Avenue
Source: City of Corner Brook
Maybe some of the 100 year old city workers who got to stop for a 3 minute rest on their shovels after every toss should retire. Pass their jobs on to the younger people. I have never been witness to a place that constantly attacks their youth, like Corner Brook. All those young people you are referring to keep moving away anyways, I wonder why.