Can you recover damages for a slip and fall on an icy sidewalk?

Walking on city sidewalks in Alberta in the winter and colder spring months can be treacherous. Many homeowners neglect to shovel the snow on city sidewalks in front of their homes following a snowfall, even though city and town bylaws require them to do so. In Edmonton, the city bylaw requires that a homeowner shovel the city sidewalk that runs alongside their property within 48 hours of the snowfall – in Calgary, the requirement is within 24 hours. Even if a homeowner shovels the city sidewalk, and perhaps also sands or salts, the sidewalk can remain treacherous, and pedestrians can slip and fall. Continue reading