To the Editor,
Re: Main roads priority for Nanaimo snow plow crews, Dec. 13.
It’s hard to imagine the City of Nanaimo manager of roads and traffic lecturing me on the importance of keeping my sidewalks clear when my street, Southwood Drive, was pretty much undriveable on Dec 9. We didn’t get the luxury of a snow plow and this is not the first time.
I get that the snow plows must be prioritized, but wonder how on Earth an emergency vehicle would be able to get up my street under these conditions. I only have to think back to June 29, 2015, when we had three houses burning right across the street from me and emergency vehicles lined the street. I realize that was in the summer but the danger of a house fire is often even greater in the winter, as probably many firemen can attest to.
There is a new system of roads and more houses going up in this area. Perhaps the City of Nanaimo should refrain from letting developers and contractors build more houses, and make more streets for the snow plows to maintain if they can’t look after what they already have.
Lee MasciarelliNanaimo
To the Editor,
Once again it’s winter in Nanaimo and the city’s snow-removal policies have failed. Requiring property owners to keep sidewalks clear, especially after the street plows have dumped a metre of road snow on to said sidewalk, is impractical and unfair.
In our area, children are trying to make their way home, from their bus stop at the bottom of Harwell Road, over sidewalks knee deep in snow. Not to mention seniors having to pick up their mail at inaccessible mail boxes. Clearly the current rules aren’t working.
Is it really going to take the death or serious injury of a child, or a senior breaking a hip, before the current rules are replaced with a system that actually works?
S.I. PetersenNanaimo