I moved here from the city last year and two things struck me as far as snow removal; a) I was amazed at how diligent the town was in keeping the roads clear and safe 24 hours a day and; b) how NOT diligent city residents were in keeping their sidewalks clear and safe for pedestrians.
I could not believe a bylaw was not in place to enforce the clearing of residential sidewalks. In the city it was simple: it stopped snowing and you had 48 hours to clear your walk. If this was not done and someone complained, you would get a notice and be given a week to comply. If the walk still wasn’t clear a crew would be hired to do the job and the resident would be billed and fined. It was extra revenue for the city (which is always needed) and it made the city a safer place to walk.
There is so much snow and ice on some walks they are simply impassable! I don’t believe it is a matter of “doing your best” to keep the walks clear, but a matter of finding the time to keep them clear for the sake of public safety. It is just a shame a bylaw may need to be enacted to ensure public safety rather than people taking it upon themselves to be considerate of their neighbours and the community.
Returning to my first point, I am truly impressed by the town’s efforts in keeping major roadways cleared of snow… even in the midst of the heaviest snowfalls. Unfortunately, with the snow Nelson gets, it is simply impossible at times to keep up with it and accidents will happen. There is no one to blame for these, maybe Mother Nature, but to blame the city is ludicrous. The one thing I found out early about driving in Nelson is there are usually ways to avoid the steepest hills when driving conditions deteriorate and no matter how good your winter tires are on your 4WD SUV, they are no match for an icy surface on an incline! I don’t need a road to be closed to figure out a need to use an alternative route to avoid an accident.
I empathize how frustrating and scary an accident can be, however taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for them; this is why we are all required to purchase auto insurance.
Jen McNutt, Nelson