Ah, spring is around the corner.
My walk to school today only required my thinnest jacket. On the way, I heard birds chirping for the first time in what seemed like forever.
The only thing interrupting the tranquility of this walk, was my constant gaze down at my feet to ensure I wouldn’t slip on the uneven ice that litters streets and sidewalks.
Meanwhile, downtown somewhere, City of Lethbridge bean counters are breathing a sigh of relief as their fleet of trucks survived yet another winter with minimal use.
Don’t get me wrong – I think Lethbridge is a great city. A lot of things about this town remind me of my hometown of Brandon, Manitoba, which will always be number one in my heart.
However, when it comes to snow removal, Lethbridge is less like Brandon, MB and more like Brandon, Florida. They just don’t do it.
I’ve seen plow crews out on Mayor Magrath Dr. and Scenic Dr. over the course of this winter a few times, but that’s about it.
After returning to Lethbridge from nine days at home for reading week, I found my street (a fairly busy thoroughfare,) to be nearly impassable in my Ford Focus.
Once I survived the treacherous half-kilometre of Fairmont Blvd., that more closely resembled the ice roads in my home province, I entered my apartment and asked my roommate when the last snowfall was.
“Oh, it was last Thursday.”
I was appalled at the fact it had been four days after a major snowfall and the street had yet to be cleared.
Imagine how I feel now almost a month since then. The street is clear now, but only by virtue of the warm weather we have enjoyed over the past few days.
Other streets in Lethbridge (Sixth Avenue comes to mind) have snow creating temporary medians, making it nearly impossible for residents of those homes to enter their driveways from the far side of the street.
Sure, all is fine and dandy when you drive a truck. That’s the most common response I get when I gripe to any of my classmates or co-workers. However, as a student, I have no need for a truck and it is not economical nor environmentally viable.
I would be fine to accept the consequence of being a car-owner the day after a snowfall, when it simply wouldn’t be possible for plow crews to comb over every street in time for the morning commute.
When there is no sight of them in four weeks, however, there is simply no excuse.
