Calgary outdigs Edmonton in accessing funds to help seniors shovel
As a fresh dump of snow blankets the city, an advocacy group says Edmonton is not doing as well as Calgary at helping low-income seniors access $1,300 per household in provincial funds to help pay for snow removal and similar services.
It's a question of coordination, not favouritism, said Sheila Hallett, executive director of the Edmonton Seniors Coordinating Council, noting the effectiveness of Calgary's Fair Entry program, which helps qualified seniors access the provincial Special Needs Assistance program.
"The way it works in Calgary, they'll help the person access that pot of money and they get the snow, or (lawn) mowing, or housekeeping organized," Hallett told Taproot. "If the snow-removal company goes to the senior's house, they clear the snow, there's no interaction between the senior and the company, the senior just knows someone's showing up, they're getting their walks cleaned, and out of that $1,300 (provincial pot), however much they're needing to pay for that, goes right to the city to pay the company. And if there's any overage charges, the city covers it."
A low-income senior in Edmonton must do all of this organizing, paying, and applying for reimbursement themselves, Hallett said. Though the provincial money is open to anyone who qualifies due to age and income, Hallett has seen internal Calgary research that shows 51% of the dollars go to Calgary residents, 27% to the rest of Alberta, and just 22% to Edmonton residents.
"It seems like because they've got this program in Calgary, it really does get more people accessing that benefit," Hallett said.
Efforts and discussions are ongoing to change this in Edmonton. But the pathway to success looks challenging due, in part, to a council directive known as OP12 calling on administration to cut $60 million from the budget and reallocate a further $240 million to core services.
Coun. Erin Rutherford told Taproot she put forward a motion in November to fund a two-year pilot of snow clearing programs for seniors, as well as those with long-term disabilities and temporary mobility challenges. "Unfortunately … it was not funded and I personally feel that this is a big miss," Rutherford said in an email.
Rutherford also noted recent discussions about OP12 have made such a program even less likely. "That being said, I still want to see this advance," she said. "We need to do better on this issue … This kind of program is a great example of ensuring we are leveraging resources from other orders of government for community benefit and leaves no one behind as we progress our city."