The gorgeous spring weather had some areas of town feeling mushy, as thawing ice flooded playfields and yards everywhere. The footpaths in open areas such as the one that leads from ODSS to Amelia Street were still icey and a bit treacherous on foot. Soon this will be a distant memory though...
However, a mere 8 months from now, we will once again be facing obstacles as we walk through our town. The Town of Orangeville council has recently put in place plans to clear all sidewalks in town limits. Right now, there is no by-law in place for residents to clear their own piece of sidewalk if they have one in front of their property. (More about the demise of the by-law in 1992 here.) Mayor Rob Adams said that this item should have been up for more discussion in the context of the overall town budget, as this will equate to an approximate 1 per cent increase in your yearly tax bill.
Showing posts with label Snow removal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Snow removal. Show all posts
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
fields of diamonds
I walk to work. It's been a dream of mine to do so, and now I can.
This morning, it was a crisp -22 degrees, and the open spaces sparkled like fields of diamonds. After our weekend snowfall, everything was crisp and white again.
I passed only 3 people on the street: a man walking his little dog (that gave me a bark and then a quick jump up to sniff me out), a smoker outside of his apartment on Broadway, and the fellow from Citrus City Tattoo out clearing the sidewalk in front of his store. It is march break, so I suspect that many people are still hunkered down inside, maybe even serving up pancakes for their kids.
My walk is about a kilometre and a half, about 10-15 minutes depending on the weather. The snow lately has of course slowed me down. There has been a lot of snow this winter, but the effort to clear snow from sidewalks has not increased relatively. It has been an ongoing debate in Orangeville, I know, with the Town taking responsibility for the main thoroughfares and individuals to take care of the rest. Why can't we hold up our part of the deal? It seems that there are some areas on a regular basis that never get cleared.
If you know of an elderly person, or maybe just a lazy person, why not help them get the job done? You will be helping your neighbours and the other residents of Orangeville who choose to walk. I am blessed that in my neighbourhood, the neighbours are very friendly and helpful and will even come and clear my driveway if I am a little behind schedule! We in turn will help out if needed. It is this kind of "Be Nice, Clear Your Ice" attitude that I wish there was more of in Orangeville when it comes to our public spaces like sidewalks.
This morning, it was a crisp -22 degrees, and the open spaces sparkled like fields of diamonds. After our weekend snowfall, everything was crisp and white again.
I passed only 3 people on the street: a man walking his little dog (that gave me a bark and then a quick jump up to sniff me out), a smoker outside of his apartment on Broadway, and the fellow from Citrus City Tattoo out clearing the sidewalk in front of his store. It is march break, so I suspect that many people are still hunkered down inside, maybe even serving up pancakes for their kids.
My walk is about a kilometre and a half, about 10-15 minutes depending on the weather. The snow lately has of course slowed me down. There has been a lot of snow this winter, but the effort to clear snow from sidewalks has not increased relatively. It has been an ongoing debate in Orangeville, I know, with the Town taking responsibility for the main thoroughfares and individuals to take care of the rest. Why can't we hold up our part of the deal? It seems that there are some areas on a regular basis that never get cleared.
If you know of an elderly person, or maybe just a lazy person, why not help them get the job done? You will be helping your neighbours and the other residents of Orangeville who choose to walk. I am blessed that in my neighbourhood, the neighbours are very friendly and helpful and will even come and clear my driveway if I am a little behind schedule! We in turn will help out if needed. It is this kind of "Be Nice, Clear Your Ice" attitude that I wish there was more of in Orangeville when it comes to our public spaces like sidewalks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)