This column has some pretty sad photos attached to it.
Take the one above showing an elderly man in Burnaby struggling his way through a sidewalk that had not been cleared on Sunday afternoon. The sidewalk is located at Imperial and Jubilee Avenue.
According to the neighbourhood resident who submitted it, the sidewalk was never salted or cleared even once since the snow began more than a week ago.
“Please post and let people know this is happening after more than a week,” said the email of a reader who didn’t want their name used.
The reader is fed up and so are many others.
NOW reader Richard Campbell (no relation) tweeted to the City of Burnaby about a stretch of Lougheed west of the Lake City SkyTrain station. You can see from the photo attached that the sidewalk is a mess that anyone using a mobility device like a scooter or a wheelchair couldn’t get through, or someone pushing a baby stroller.
“Hey @CityofBurnabyyou need to clear ALL the sidewalks on Lougheed between Cariboo and Lougheed Town Centre,” read Campbell’s tweet. “Much of it looks like a dangerous, icy mess.”
Another NOW reader emailed angry about snow piled up in parking spaces set aside for people with disabilities. You can view the photos in this blog.
You can tell that some of these spaces haven’t even been touched, while other parking spots are clear for drivers to use.
I’ve also included snow piled onto a bike lane, making it unusable for cyclists. Yes, there are still people cycling in this weather.
I look at all of these photos and suggest that the people who should be clearing these areas – landlords, residents, businesses, the city – are simply waiting for the rain to continue to wash away the snow so they don’t actually have to put any more effort into snow clearing.
I mean, why put resources into something when the rain will – eventually – do it for you.
I highlight eventually because that’s the problem. Sure, the snow will eventually wash away, but for people with mobility challenges, they are left to twist in the wind.
It’s unacceptable. It’s also embarrassing.
The next time it snows, I sincerely hope people do better.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
