Skip to content

EDITORIAL: Winter-ready public needed

Nanaimo residents should put a little effort into preparing for snowfall.

Nanaimo residents could learn a lesson from city public works crews in anticipating the coming of winter by being prepared.

The 25 pieces of snow and ice removal equipment the city owns were in the shop for maintenance or repairs over the summer, and are now ready for whatever winter might bring.

It’s not that much to ask for residents to do the same.

Instead of risking personal injury or damage to your vehicle negotiating a slippery road to buy snow tires once the snow and ice has covered the ground, plan ahead.

Have the snow tires on and a bag of salt or sand and a snow shovel in the trunk. It could not only save you from a crash, but some cash as well, since you avoid a call to ICBC.

The same goes for winter preparation around the house.

Instead of waiting two or three hours (or days) for the weather to turn and the snow to melt, have the shovel and de-icer handy to keep the area around the property clear.

And that includes the sidewalk.

A city bylaw requires property owners to clear the sidewalk as soon as possible after a snowfall.

Port Coquitlam has a Snow Angel program involving volunteers who remove snow and ice from sidewalks for residents who have difficulty keeping them clear.

It’s something Nanaimo should look at as past snowfalls forced pedestrians off the snow-covered sidewalks and onto the streets.

The city has priorities when it comes to snow removal and can’t be everywhere at once.

A prepared public would go a long way in helping the situation.