James Bay bus stops were not cleared
Seniors were left without bus service for two days and on Monday, nothing was done to clear the bus stops in James Bay. The same happened in 2019.
Is the city delinquent for not having roads cleared to the hub during every bus route? The seniors of James Bay deserve better service than that!
The photograph tells the story for Douglas Street at Avalon; but I saw the same problem in the entire No. 2 route to Ogden Point.
Lloyd Skaalen (age 91)
Victoria
Langford ignored the big snowfall
On Sunday I had to drive to Langford for work by 8 a.m. At 7:45, Jacklin Road, Langford Parkway and surrounding areas were a mess. It was obvious that no snow removal had taken place since the big snowfall the previous day.
It makes me glad that I am not a taxpayer in Langford because the pathetic level of services to the public was fully on display during this snowfall.
It seems that, unless you are a condo developer, Langford couldn’t care less about your well-being.
By Monday the roads were cleared, but the sidewalks all over the central area had had nothing done to them — highly dangerous, and I would think a legal liability.
Zero points to Langford, the shopping malls and large retailers for their lack of care for pedestrians. Perhaps a complacent town council needs a class-action lawsuit to wake it up.
There is no excuse for this appalling lack of preparedness, except possibly incompetence or indifference.
Climate change is real, and it seems that now the south Island will see more snowfall each year. Langford council need only look to other municipalities (in and out of province) to see how snowfall on city streets is dealt with effectively.
Stop wasting money on pointless “I am Langford” signs unless you are hanging them on an increased fleet of snowplows for both streets and sidewalks.
Craig Bugden
Sooke
Who deals with snow at Government House?
This past snowy weekend I enjoyed a few walks and was very pleased to see sidewalks shovelled or being shovelled. With one exception, Government House.
Tina Pitcher
Victoria
Bike lanes a priority when snow is cleared
The Victoria city workers did a good job of dealing with what was a lot of snow for Victoria, and they deserve our thanks for working on a holiday weekend.
Unfortunately, I tried to go for a walk Monday afternoon in the rain by Ogden Point only to find that all the fancy new bike lanes were spotless and the sidewalks that are literally joined to them had three inches of frozen slush, forcing all the pedestrians onto the bike lanes.
I know we now live in a city with a car-hating council, but are they now including walkers in their pursuit of a magic kingdom?
Are we all supposed to be on bicycles now? I didn’t get the memo.
C. Scott Stofer
Victoria
Neighbours shovelled walkway and carport
I am 85 years old and suffer from asbestosis. As I awoke, the neighbours had shovelled my walkway from the front door to the road. Then they shovelled the snow off my plastic carport so that under the heavy snow and rain it would not collapse.
I am so grateful to the wonderful people in our neighbourhood. Thank you.
John Bate
Victoria
Thanks to those who shovelled snow
My husband and I are seniors and were wondering how we were going to manage shovelling our driveway as well as our walkway with all the snow when to our surprise “Snow Angels” arrived.
They were in the form of our wonderful neighbours who came and shovelled two days in a row without us even asking. My husband was so touched that his chin quivered and he teared up. I hugged them with our heart.
Being more physically able than my husband, I too went out with our snow shovel in hand to be a Snow Angel.
It was wonderful witnessing our street as community assisting one another. I then thought of all the other Snow Angels throughout Greater Victoria who blessed their neighbours and seniors as well and want to express a BIG thank you for your loving act of kindness!
Wendy Campbell
Saanich
Clear snow from bus stops, sidewalks
This is a city where priority is given to clearing bike lanes of snow, but nothing is done about providing access to bus stops.
I had to make an essential medical trip on Monday and had to clamber over snow banks to reach the bus and to get to the crosswalk at a major intersection.
And where is the school board? The sidewalk abutting South Park School was clogged with snow.
We had plenty of warning. Snow clearing is essential, especially in areas such as James Bay where many seniors depend on the bus.
Anne Moon
Victoria
Ogden Point worked, so full speed ahead
As I read the ongoing criticisms of the proposed changes to Clover Point I sense a feeling of déjà vu.
After all, didn’t we go through the same uproar with the Ogden Point project? I recall similar complaints then about consultation — or the lack of It. About the plan to add bike lanes to the sidewalk, putting pedestrians at risk. And worst of all, fears about the number of parking spaces being reduced on Dallas and tearing down the aging balustrade.
But you don’t hear a backlash today. On the contrary, public response now is not only very positive, it’s visible. For example, hundreds more are walking Ogden Point Breakwater (good news for the owners of the Breakwater Cafe).
And while a steady stream of pedestrians and cyclists enjoy the multi-use trail, car owners continue to enjoy the unrestricted panoramic view that has always been the biggest attraction along the Dallas Road sea wall.
In conclusion, I believe council members should remind themselves and others that the Ogden Point and Clover Point projects are, and have always been, linked to each other and the same development, engagement and review process has been followed with both.
And importantly, the obvious success achieved with the Ogden Point project is the living proof that this process can and will yield the same result with Clover Point.
Onward!
Derry McDonell
Victoria
Don’t tell us about it, reduce our ICBC cost
I find it a little distasteful that ICBC is advertising that we will be getting a 20 per cent reduction and more bang for our buck effective May 1.
What an absolute waste of money since ICBC has a monopoly and we have no choice where to buy our car insurance. Instead of wasting money advertising, ICBC should use this money to continue to find ways to reduce the cost of insurance.
Eileen Cannon
Victoria
Province needs bus transportation
Failing to financially support inter-community bus transport through the pandemic and beyond leaves people no other travel option but the automobile.
Is this the way to go given that automobile transport contributes substantially to climate change?
As well there a number of us who do not drive, be it a matter of affordability, age, disability or choice. And in some situations, Highway 16 (the Highway of Tears) being a prime example, the existence or lack thereof of Wilson’s and other companies can be a matter of life and death.
I ask our government to consider, in the light of its overall good intentions where people are concerned, that this is one of the holes it needs to fill, certainly in time for the end of the pandemic, when it will hopefully be safe to travel again.
Mary Andrews
Victoria
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