City pledges to do a better job making sure sidewalk’s clear next winter
Although it can finally be said that winter 2025-26 in Laval is almost certainly over, one resident is thinking proactively about the snowfall next December and the first few months of 2027.
In an e-mail to The Laval News, Hardik Anand, who lives on Lulli St. a short walk from the corner of de l’Avenir Blvd. and du Trait-Carré Rd., said he wanted to “highlight a serious and ongoing public safety issue” in Laval-des-Rapides near Montmorency Metro a short distance from a large seniors’ residence.
Snow blocked sidewalk
“A sidewalk in this area has been blocked by a mountain of snow for months,” he said at the beginning of April as spring was just starting to set in and the accumulated winter snow was melting.
“It has not been cleared,” he continued. “And as a result, people have fallen there many times. This is especially disturbing given the location next to a residence for older people, who are even more vulnerable to injury.”
Anand said he had tried repeatedly to get this addressed through official channels. “I submitted three separate online complaints to the city, and all three were closed without any response or meaningful action,” he said.
‘Nothing was done’
“I also emailed the mayor and the local councillor and sent photographs, but nothing was done,” he added. “I then contacted the ombudsman, only to be told that he could not act because my online complaint is now more than three months old, even though the snow obstruction is still there and the danger still exists.
“This is exactly the kind of issue that deserves public attention,” Anand said. “When residents report a hazardous sidewalk multiple times and are ignored, and when even the complaint system becomes a dead end because of timing technicalities, it leaves people with no real recourse.”
He said he hoped The Laval News could help bring attention to the blocked sidewalk and ask the city why such a dangerous condition had been allowed to remain for so long – especially near Montmorency Metro and next to a seniors’ residence (Résidence Soleil Manoir Laval on de l’Avenir) in Laval-des-Rapides.
Five months without cleaning
In an interview with The Laval News late last week, Anand said the last of the snow bank was still visible since its enormous size meant it would continue melting long after most of the snow in the area had disappeared.
“That entire part of the sidewalk was never cleaned throughout the winter season – I would say for the last five months,” he said, while adding that he had personally fallen there at least three times and knew of others who also fell in that spot.
While acknowledging that he suffered some minor injuries, he said they weren’t serious, but the accumulation of snow on the sidewalk forced him as well as other residents to walk out on the street where they were exposed to the hazard of rapidly moving traffic.
Anand said the files for three complaints he made to the City of Laval, beginning in January, were summarily closed “without giving out any information. The first two complaints were closed without any response. By the time of the third complaint, they just gave a general response about snow clearing policy and stuff and they closed that one too.”
City of Laval replies
Following an exchange of e-mails between The Laval News and the City of Laval’s communications department, an official with the city got back to us with a response.
“The City of Laval is well aware of the situation reported by the resident regarding the snow accumulation on Chemin du Trait-Carré, near Boulevard de l’Avenir,” said Nesrine Saci, adding that snow removal operations in the area are carried out by a private contractor hired by the city.
“Generally, snow removal operations aim to keep sidewalks safe and accessible to pedestrians,” she continued.
Piling snow not allowed
“It is not permitted to leave piles of snow obstructing a sidewalk. That said, during clearing operations or due to space constraints, snow may sometimes be temporarily deposited near or along the edge of a sidewalk. Action is then taken to clear the walkways and ensure safety.”
While noting that the 2024-2025 winter season was marked by significant snowfall, including two storms totaling nearly 80 centimeters of snow, Saci maintained this “can lead to exceptional situations related to snow storage capacity.”
She said the city has a snow patrol that conducts on-site inspections to identify problem areas, including obstructions to pedestrian traffic.
“Inspections will be carried out in this area during the upcoming winter season,” she added. “And if necessary, tickets may be issued for any violations observed.”
