Whitehorse snow and ice control accessibility review
Happy Cities and Meaningful Access Consulting worked with the City of Whitehorse to assess and improve the City’s snow and ice control policy for accessibility.
Marco Pasqua speaks during a tour of snow and ice control on Whitehorse streets and public spaces. (Mitchell Reardon / Happy Cities)
In Whitehorse, snow and ice are on the ground for over six months every year.
In 2023, the City Council of Whitehorse gave the green light to nearly $4 million in Capital Funding for new snow and ice control equipment. Council also asked staff to look into how accessible their snow and ice control was. To conduct the review, the City hired Happy Cities and Meaningful Access Consulting to identify ways to ensure that snow and ice control support accessibility for everyone in Whitehorse.
Examining policy through an accessibility lens
We took a deep dive into Whitehorse’s policies on snow and ice control, examining the City’s practices from an accessibility and inclusion lens. This review aimed to improve accessibility by going beyond minimum standards. We identified the impacts of potential policy changes, using examples and best practices from other winter cities. Our assessment identified strategies to help Whitehorse strengthen its current policies and standards on accessible snow and ice clearance, related to areas including:
Accessible parking
Snow removal
Public transit
We combined the policy review with three collaborative working sessions with City staff and an on-site tour of accessibility in neighbourhoods across Whitehorse. Through this process, we delivered 32 recommendations organized around four key areas: Operations, Communications and Education, Enforcement, and Design. The recommendations position the City to become a leader in inclusive and accessible urban design among northern cities.
Working with City staff
We worked hand-in-hand with the City to plan and design three working sessions for City staff. These interactive sessions were based on the principles of inclusion, adaptability, diversity, collaboration, self-determination, and universal design. City staff involved in all aspects of snow and ice control joined these sessions, including decision-makers, policy-writers, communications team members, and operations and maintenance staff.
On-site tour of accessibility in Whitehorse
Crossing a laneway in Whitehorse.
Assessing snow clearing and accessibility on Whitehorse sidewalks.
Happy Cities and Meaningful Access Consulting visited Whitehorse to meet with City staff. During this visit, Marco Pasqua led a walking and rolling tour of downtown (in negative 20 degrees Celsius) Whitehorse. This tour helped us illustrate our recommendations in action and show how even small barriers can pose serious challenges for safety, inclusion, and accessibility.
The City brought together staff from Engineering, Transportation, Communication, Bylaw Services, Planning, Parks & Community Development to talk about our initial recommendations. This productive session led to new and refined recommendations, including the idea to set up a regular working group on accessibility for snow and ice control. We held another City Working Session before finalizing the recommendations.
