Heated sidewalks strikes heated debate in western Canada
theweathernetwork.com
Saturday, January 25, 2014, 4:05 PM -
On a windy, snowy, slippery day, the last thing anyone would want to do is to go for a leisurely stroll. But what if your sidewalks remained snow-free, even during the harshest of storms? What if your sidewalks were heated?
Reykjavik, Iceland has been saving money on snow removal since it started heating sidewalks with geothermal technology. So in a country like Canada, where with each winter comes at least one epic snowstorm, we wanted to know how you would feel about piping hot water under your city sidewalks.
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The Weather Network took to the streets across the country to see what you had to say. Our first stop, the West:
CLICK TO WATCH: It’s a unanimous vote from Vancouver
Sure, Vancouver ranks slightly low on the snowfall scale with an average annual snowfall of 38.06 cm, but even so, would you want your sidewalks heated? These folks probably have the right idea:
CLICK TO WATCH: Calgarians could always use a break from the white stuff…or not?
Calgary is no stranger to paralyzing snowstorms, with an average of 128.81 cm of snowfall per year. So when we took to the streets, we were somewhat surprised by what these residents had to say:
CLICK TO WATCH: It’s a fair debate in Edmonton
The heated sidewalk debate continued in Edmonton, with Mayor Don Iveson giving his perspective on the idea:
TUNE IN: Would heated sidewalks work in eastern Canada? Find out on Sunday, as our reporters have a little fun with the idea!
Want to find out how something works? Tweet us @weathernetwork using the hashtag #twnhowitworks.
