Bring back community sand boxes, urges city councillor

An Edmonton city councillor is drawing his line in the sand over community sand boxes.

Coun. Michael Walters wants to see the city reinstate and even improveits reduced community sand box program, which makes sand available to residents free of charge to use on icy sidewalks.

The city reduced the program this winter to save $300,000 from the budget.

Instead of 100 boxes available at community centres across Edmonton, the city now offersonly fivesand boxes, all of them at city roadway maintenance yards.

• Cost-saving shift in sand boxes not worth the risk, councillor says

But Walters said that was the wrong decision.

"We have a lot of changing weather, freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw, our neighbourhoods are icy," he said. "On top of encouraging people to walk more as many of our policies and strategies do, I think it just makes sense to improve it ... to make that sand available to people to keep their sidewalks from being so slippery."

Walters said there are many ways to improve the program, including making the boxes bigger.

One of the more common complaints about the community sand box program was that the boxes were often empty.

Walters suggests working with community leagues to manage the boxes and let the city know when they are empty.

He said the community could also help educate residents on the need to take only what they need and share the rest.

"Instead of taking away something that wasn't working well, why don't we put something back that's better?" he asked."We hope that people will call on their better angels and just take what they need."

Money well spent

Walters said the city can affordto pay for the program, calling it a basic community project that people use and appreciate.

"We're talking about seniors," he said " We're talking about encouraging our families to walk their children to school. When you think about all that and the benefit of safe neighbourhoods, this is really not that expensive."

Walters will ask the rest of council to send the issue back to city administration to review and come up with a new strategy.

It would be considered aspart of the snow and ice policy council reviews every spring.

Walters thinks he will have the support of the rest of council, suggesting all of them have heard complaints about getting rid of the sand boxes.

"So hopefully that new and improved community sand box service can be back in communities next winter, " he said.