Skip to content

Pender response abysmal

Letters

Editor:

I am sure the recent snowstorm affected many people in B.C. Here in Pender Harbour the consequences were unacceptable.

The maintenance of our highways and side streets was abysmal. Not only do we have a lack of painted lines on the roads, but snow removal is almost nonexistent. My own road was finally plowed the night of the big melt. Up to that time, many residents were trapped in their homes. An ambulance and fire truck were unable to get up the Harbour View hill to attend to a medical emergency. That resulted in the necessity to walk the patient down to a lower road. That is totally unacceptable.

I do not know if the problem is budget, equipment or personnel, but things need to change. I was told that the highway company ran out of sand/salt. If that is correct, how is that possible? This was our first snowfall of the season. Were they not prepared? Do we accept the low bid on maintenance and as a result the company has no room to maintain when things get bad?

We keep hearing that the cost to ICBC is constantly increasing as a result of accidents and as a result our rates keep going up. We had vehicles in the ditches all over the Harbour. Maybe if the roads were maintained properly the accidents would decrease to the extent that additional maintenance could be paid for.

It’s no longer acceptable to make excuses. It’s time to fix the problem so it does not occur again. We seem to be able to subsidize big business. Maybe it’s time to subsidize the things that affect the average citizen. I encourage everyone to write a letter of complaint so that someone will get the message.

Ted Taylor, Madeira Park