Mainroads has been a hot topic of discussion over the past couple of months due to some treacherous highway conditions and their lack of manpower. Our mayor spearheaded a successful campaign to make Mainroads accountable for clearing the highways in a timely fashion and held them accountable when they didn’t. However, people are now looking out their own front doors and holding the mayor and council accountable for the shabby conditions that we are experiencing on our own city streets.
Talk about not throwing stones when you live in glass houses! It has been left to Mother Nature and some unseasonal mild temperatures for our city streets to thaw. You can’t even drive down some of the streets without your vehicle being swallowed up in large ruts due to the roads being left unplowed throughout the fluctuating temperatures.
It is the hot topic of conversation on Fernie’s new Facebook page ‘Fernie Rants & Raves’ created by long-time local Chris Inglis. The group currently has almost 1,000 members, each with their own concerns and questions regarding various issues in the area.
Just like with Mainroads, people want answers as to why our streets are not being cleared in a timely fashion, not to mention the sidewalks. There is nowhere to safely walk in town without the real risk of slipping on hard packed ice.
It comes to my ears that a gentleman fell on the sidewalk outside Trinity Lodge and broke his collarbone after the City was told about the unsavory conditions outside the senior’s home. It is unacceptable for the City to criticize the action being taken by Mainroads when incidents such as this are occurring within their own jurisdiction.
This is the Snow Valley; the City knows that every year we get snowstorms and rain followed by freezing temperatures. Why are they still not prepared and why are there no snowplows out on a weekend after a large snow event? Those of us that are property owners pay property taxes; why is this not adequate to cover sufficient and timely snow removal? How many more residents must be injured before proper action is taken?