YORKTON – The Yorkton Business Improvement District supplied SaskAbilities with a cheque for $6,000 during a presentation at City Centre Park on March. 2.
"Way back in 2004 we started the Clean Sweep summer program," said Donna Brothwell, Executive Director for YBID in an interview with Yorkton This Week, noting workers were supplied by SIGN at the time.
Brothwell noted that in 2020, after visiting several businesses downtown during the winter, that some of the sidewalks were less than accommodating.
"I was visiting the businesses and literally falling into little pot holes of snow or ice on the walks in the district," said Brothwell, adding, "it was becoming—in the winter time—un-shop-able – un-walk-able."
"We decided to approach SIGN and see if they could start the winter program and shovel where the empty buildings are," said Brothwell, adding, "I checked with the city with regards to that and there is fines that are put out on the business owners, but some of those business owners live in Toronto – they live in BC."
Though businesses are fined by the city for not clearing snow, in the case of vacant buildings without local owners the snow remains.
"It was really hard for them (the business owners) to find someone to shovel never mind getting it done each time it snowed," explained Brothwell, "we decided to put some money into a program that every time it snows these [workers] would get out there and clear the walks."
"It worked really good and started out as basically just the empty buildings – at least we could keep it walk-able – keep it so that nobody is going to hurt themselves," said Brothwell.
"Now it's kind of grown into a little bit more," said Brothwell, "last year we celebrated SaskAbilities taking over both programs—the summer and the winter programs—they've made them into actual real jobs through employment services."
"It was just last spring that we took on the project," said Brittany Garbutt, Employment Services Senior Supervisor with SaskAbilities' Partners In Employment.
"We were pretty excited when Donna came to us with the opportunity because we're always looking for ways to give back to our community and it was a really great way of being an inclusive employer," said Garbutt.
Garbutt said that SaskAbilities employs three to five workers each year per season to take care of the sidewalk cleaning. The seasons are broken down into the snow removal project and the sidewalk cleaning in the summer.
"Any vacant properties in our district – this team goes out and makes sure the snow is cleared in front of those properties and they lay down salt if there's any ice to make sure that our business district is walkable – that it's safe," said Garbutt.
"Through our employment division—Partners In Employment—we're always looking to promote those inclusive employment opportunities so the whole project is meant to be inclusive," said Garbutt.
"It's really a positive program for all of the organizations involved for the community," said Brothwell, adding, "the workers who work the program feel like they really are doing the community a service and they are, they really are."
