Councilor vows to look into snow plowing after controversy – Winnipeg Free Press

After complaints about Winnipeg ticketing and tow trucks parked on snow routes — despite no actual snow — the forecast may change.

Number. Janice Lux, who oversees plowing in the city as chair of the Public Works Committee, said she will ask the administration if they can stop the towing if snow removal is not needed.

“We can only look at ticketing and not towing cars,” Loucks said Tuesday.

“When there's no snow, I'll say in public works, should we drag?”

But Lukes said the issue has been raised before.

“Two years ago, when we had $85 million worth of snow, there were cars sitting on these snow roads for months that would never move,” he said. “Should we have discretion? When we do, some people like it and others don't.''

Hundreds of vehicles have been towed off the road since midnight, after the city banned parking on the winter route on Jan. 16 after the first significant snowfall of the season.

Since then, the city has had no more snow and the temperatures are so warm that most of the streets are empty.

Last week, the mercury even rose to 8 degrees above average.

The snow trail parking fee is $100, but it drops to $75 if paid within 14 days. The towing fee is $130.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation said towing vehicles “definitely looks like a money grab.”

Jim Bender said he forgot to move his car off Corydon Avenue Saturday night and when he went outside Sunday morning, it was gone.

Bender said he doesn't understand why the city ticketed his car and left it on the street.

“There was no reason to tow the car because they were towing to clear the streets for the plows, but there were no plows,” he said.

“Now I have a $75 parking ticket and a $130 towing fee and it should have only been $75.”

St. Boniface resident Suzanne LeMadec said her car was towed last Thursday, as was another car that was looking for her neighbor.

“It was a $500 day for us. It was absolutely crazy,” LeMadec said. “I've been upset for three days.”

“We're elderly people and we live in an apartment where they sweep the park the next day. So we thought we'd move the cars tonight (on the street) and we got towed.

“But there's no snow (so) give us a ticket.”

LeMadec said it cost him $28 to get a taxi to the Tartan attraction on the north side of Dawson Road.

“There were 150 cars there and eight or nine angry people behind us, and I don't blame them,” he said. “Imagine you're on your way to work and your car drives away.

“If I had known, I would never have lived on the streets.”

LeMadec complained to the Winnipeg Parking Authority and had the ticket reduced to $50.

City spokeswoman Julie Dooley said the vehicle was allowed to be towed when it was stopped in a snow lane and ticketed.

“In some cases, due to resources and the short window during the ban (between 2am and 7am), not all ticketed vehicles will be towed, but the vehicle owner will be liable (for) a penalty notice,” he said.

Dooley said city troopers issued 109 tickets Monday. “We don't have the total number of tows done yet,” he said.

He said the $130 fee charged by the towing company includes a $30 administrative fee collected by the city.

Statistics on the number of tickets and towings for the 2022-23 winter are not yet available, Dooley said.

In 2021-22, 8,952 tickets were issued and two vehicles were towed, and in 2020-21, 7,775 tickets were issued and 18 vehicles were towed.

Number. Cindy Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre) said that apartment dwellers in her ward, such as Wolseley, find it difficult to park on the street at the best of times.

“Apartment buildings don't have parking, so they're looking for street parking and it's difficult,” Gilroy said.

“I understand that the city wants to clean the streets thoroughly, but sometimes you have to live and learn. Maybe there's a better way.”

Gilroy said the app the city uses to notify people when residential streets will be plowed can be used to send information about when snow is being cleared.

“Hopefully we will reconsider the policy.”

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Kevin Rollason
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Kevin Rollason is one of the most versatile reporters at the Winnipeg Free Press. Whether covering city hall, the courts, or general reporting, you can count on Rollason to not only answer the 5 Ws—Who, What, When, Where, and Why—but to do so in an engaging and accessible way for readers. .

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