City of Vancouver
Information Bulletin
December 14, 2016
Thanks to the generous
help of 29 Vancouver residents, more than
45 City blocks were cleared of snow between December 5 to 11 by
volunteer Snow Angels who took the time to help seniors and people
with limited mobility clean their sidewalks of snow and ice.
Before
the recent snowfall, there were 16 registered Snow Angels with the City
of Vancouver
and that number nearly doubled to 29 following the first snowfall on
December 5. The registration process is quick and easy and can be done via the City’s app VanConnect
or by visiting the City website.
Once registered, volunteers receive requests from our Snow Angel coordinator to clear snow and ice from neighbours' sidewalks.
All
Vancouver property owners and occupants (tenants) are responsible to
clear
snow and ice from the full width of sidewalks that surround their
property by 10 am the morning following a snowfall. This responsibility
is in effect seven days a week. Property owners and occupants who fail
to remove snow and ice may be subject to fines.
Residents can also help keep storm drains clear of leaves and snow to
prevent flooding.
Alternatively, those requiring assistance to clear their sidewalks can phone 3-1-1 and staff will connect
you with a Snow Angel in your area. With temperatures currently below
freezing, Snow Angels are using salt provided by the City to help clear
sidewalks for seniors and people with limited mobility who have
requested assistance. Between December 5 to 11, the
City received 108 requests for help to clear sidewalks.
A
majority of the requests to become a Snow Angel or to receive
assistance from a Snow Angel
come through the City’s 3-1-1 Contact Centre. During the recent snow
fall, the call centre received 1,540 snow and ice removal inquires
alone. During the same period December 5 to 12 in the previous year, the
City received five.
The 3-1-1 contact
centre
is well equipped to handle increased calls volumes from extreme weather
events such as the recent snowfall. In preparation for increased calls
related to snow, the centre brought in extra Customer Support
Representatives on December 5.
The 3-1-1 Contact Centre
is available from 7am to 10pm, 365 days a year and provides information
on City of Vancouver services, including 175 language services. Callers
do not need to speak English: (Just call and say, “Mandarin” or
“Romanian” in your language of choice and after
a short wait, callers are transferred to somebody who can speak that language).
Callers
can receive information about City services, send service requests for
non-emergency services, share
concerns, and provide feedback. Alternatively. citizens can also use the
City’s app VanConnect to access these services. The City launched its
VanConnect app at the end of May 2015 and there have been almost
35,600 app downloads to date. Approximately 600
service requests per week are submitted via the app covering all areas of the City’s operations.
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Media Contact:
Corporate Communications
604.871.6336
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