GuelphToday received the following Letter to the Editor from reader Dave Halfpenny, in regards to city snow removal:
Dear editor;
We have lived in our current house for 38 years and I have always prided myself on keeping our driveway and city sidewalk cleared down to the pavement as soon as possible after the snow has stopped falling. I am in my late seventies, but I enjoy doing it. The only thing that annoys me is that the city sidewalk snowplow inevitably comes along in the middle of the night and tears up sod and pushes snow back onto the freshly-cleaned sidewalk.
Christmas Eve afternoon, my neighbours and I were out clearing the small amount of snow that has fallen when, "What to my wondering eyes should appear ...." but the city sidewalk snowplow coming down the sidewalk on the opposite side of the road and, in what can only be described as a "Christmas miracle", he was lifting his blade as he reached each section of the sidewalk that has already been cleared. I rejoiced as I watched him but, unfortunately, he continued down the sidewalk and turned the corner and I did not see him again. In the middle of that night, I heard the usual ominous sound outside and I awoke Christmas morning knowing, to no surprise, exactly what I would see.
I have spoken to several Guelph councillors aver the years and some have even promised to speak to the city maintenance department about the issue, to no avail. These same councillors keep expressing concern about keeping property tax increases as low as possible. Getting rid of the sidewalk snowplowing program seems to me to be "low-hanging fruit"! I realize that there are people (taxpayers) who are unable, due to health reasons, or are unwilling to perform the chore. My next-door neighbour is a widow in her 90's who prides herself in doing as much of the clearing as she can and her neighbours take care of what she cannot do.
I would very much like to see this issue discussed seriously at budget time.
Dave Halfpenny,
Guelph
