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Letters: Clear sidewalks like you clear the parking areas

Editor:

A big thank-you to the highway crews who have been kept busy the past several months dealing with floods, washouts, high tides and record cold and snow, doing their best to keep roads open and safe.

However I have one request: that in future the snow be cleared back to the sidewalk, not left on the road edge to catch the unwary. This is especially critical at intersections.

On Friday, Jan. 3, I walked the left-hand sidewalk along Highway101 from Gibsons Credit Union to the Pratt Road intersection, then crossed at the light, heading for the IGA. The light changed and I heard a car skidding. I looked back across the intersection to see it turn right from Pratt onto the highway, skid in the uncleared snow on the road at the corner then fishtail on the highway, up onto the sidewalk and back onto the highway, and carry on.

If I had been walking on that sidewalk a couple of minutes later, I might not be here to tell the tale.

My other criticism is of a number of businesses in Upper Gibsons that have made inadequate efforts to clear sidewalks and keep them clear. I note that they have all cleared their parking lots, making sure paying customers can drive in safely. But it seems that pedestrians are second-class citizens; we are left to negotiate the ice and slush as best we can.

I know the past couple of weeks have been extra challenging, but this is not good enough, and leaves a sour taste in my mouth about those businesses. Please, let’s have better compliance with the regulations on keeping sidewalks clear, and enforcement where needed.

Sheila Weaver, Gibsons