Winter officially begins in our neck of the woods.

[#juan]

Yeah, I know what that's like. It sounds like most cities' snow plowing. The only place it differs seems to be in the perceived 'need' for it.

That could be part of the problem. That light snowfall we had a few days ago gave us two problems. Our street like quite a few others in Nanaimo has a sidewalk on one side only. The snowplow put a modest snowbank across the driveways of the people on one side of the street and put a snowbank on the sidewalk on the other side where there was previously only a few inches of snow. I looked at the weather forecast, which was solid with rain for the next week and didn't shovel my driveway. Rain, over the next couple days took all the snow away. I would have thought the same deductive reasoning would have been available for the people ordering the snowplows. I don't think this is nit-picking.

 

[lone wolf]

That could be part of the problem. That light snowfall we had a few days ago gave us two problems. Our street like quite a few others in Nanaimo has a sidewalk on one side only. The snowplow put a modest snowbank across the driveways of the people on one side of the street and put a snowbank on the sidewalk on the other side where there was previously only a few inches of snow. I looked at the weather forecast, which was solid with rain for the next week and didn't shovel my driveway. Rain, over the next couple days took all the snow away. I would have thought the same deductive reasoning would have been available for the people ordering the snowplows. I don't think this is nit-picking.

Does your municipality base budgets on cost the previous year? The equipment has to work or it doesn't get paid ... and you will pay the price another year when you have a surprise maxi dump and no plows to move it.

 

[VanIsle]

That could be part of the problem. That light snowfall we had a few days ago gave us two problems. Our street like quite a few others in Nanaimo has a sidewalk on one side only. The snowplow put a modest snowbank across the driveways of the people on one side of the street and put a snowbank on the sidewalk on the other side where there was previously only a few inches of snow. I looked at the weather forecast, which was solid with rain for the next week and didn't shovel my driveway. Rain, over the next couple days took all the snow away. I would have thought the same deductive reasoning would have been available for the people ordering the snowplows. I don't think this is nit-picking.

Oddly enough Juan, if it's during the "after hours" time in the city, my husband could be one of the people calling out the snow plows. But - all he does is make the call to those on call, and after that it's up to them to look after what and where they plow. He doesn't work for the city per se.
Heard on the news that we are to get really high winds today and tomorrow at least. Hope it doesn't blow in more snow. Fatality in Duncan yesterday (pedestrian and another one (vehicular) around Cranberry this morning. Hubby said the one this morning was particularly bad.

 

[VanIsle]

Does your municipality base budgets on cost the previous year? The equipment has to work or it doesn't get paid ... and you will pay the price another year when you have a surprise maxi dump and no plows to move it.

They never seem to learn. It is always assumed we won't get much snow. I'll hear soon enough if the budget is used up. We have a new mayor so taxes went up anyway. They needed to go up

 

[#juan]

Oddly enough Juan, if it's during the "after hours" time in the city, my husband could be one of the people calling out the snow plows. But - all he does is make the call to those on call, and after that it's up to them to look after what and where they plow. He doesn't work for the city per se.
Heard on the news that we are to get really high winds today and tomorrow at least. Hope it doesn't blow in more snow. Fatality in Duncan yesterday (pedestrian and another one (vehicular) around Cranberry this morning. Hubby said the one this morning was particularly bad.

I thought I remembered that your husband was a policeman. I always admire them though I'm never happy to get a ticket. I haven't had a ticket in fifteen years or so now but they do a job that I couldn't do.

The forecast is still snow free but we know the weather is always changeable.

Speaking of pedestrians, I went over to Rutherford North last night to pick up a bottle of wine and on the way I passed a pedestrian with a case of beer in each hand walking down the middle of Uplands.....I hope he wasn't one of the victims.

 

[#juan]

yeah, but, people who let their kids wander the neighbourhood and work for random people are few and far between now... they have been conditioned to believe that anyone offering money to children has a basement dungeon awaiting their precious Timmy. Thank the media!

My paper route was 79 papers(Vancouver Sun)and it was all over town. At collection time I often had over three hundred dollars in my pocket. I'm still amazed that paper boys weren't robbed.

 

[AnnaG]

I was out snowblowing earlier. There's about 8cm of snow and it's kind of heavy. 5º outside. I got stuck. Thing needs more weight in back. I tried to get unstuck for a while and got hungry. It's out there and I am eating a tuna sandwich. I'll go out after and throw some gravel around and play in the snow some more.

 

[#juan]

If you look close in the first pic I posted above, you can see the tread
from one of the Graders that usually tool up my street with the blade
up....

Again, Nanaimo is not Regina. The mere sight of that much snow in Nanaimo would give people here heart failure. Me included...;-)

 

[AnnaG]

If you look close in the first pic I posted above, you can see the tread
from one of the Graders that usually tool up my street with the blade
up....

Again, Nanaimo is not Regina. The mere sight of that much snow in Nanaimo would give people here heart failure. Me included...;-)

lol. Not to mention the City. Do they even have more than one plowtruck there?

 

[AnnaG]

Okay, done my lunch and my tea. Back outside to rescue tractor and do some more snowblowing.

 

[talloola]

That could be part of the problem. That light snowfall we had a few days ago gave us two problems. Our street like quite a few others in Nanaimo has a sidewalk on one side only. The snowplow put a modest snowbank across the driveways of the people on one side of the street and put a snowbank on the sidewalk on the other side where there was previously only a few inches of snow. I looked at the weather forecast, which was solid with rain for the next week and didn't shovel my driveway. Rain, over the next couple days took all the snow away. I would have thought the same deductive reasoning would have been available for the people ordering the snowplows. I don't think this is nit-picking.

Your not nit-picking Juan
In this little city, they have a tiny little snow plough for the sidewalks, does
a very neat job. There is lots of walking here, many people walk to and from town,
and that prevents them from having to walk on the road, and yes, some of them
are older, some on scooters, many with kids and strollers/sleighs. Last winter
we had snow for quite awhile, at least for this neck of the woods.

 

[VanIsle]

I thought I remembered that your husband was a policeman. I always admire them though I'm never happy to get a ticket. I haven't had a ticket in fifteen years or so now but they do a job that I couldn't do.

The forecast is still snow free but we know the weather is always changeable.

Speaking of pedestrians, I went over to Rutherford North last night to pick up a bottle of wine and on the way I passed a pedestrian with a case of beer in each hand walking down the middle of Uplands.....I hope he wasn't one of the victims.

My husband was a policeman. He hasn't been since 1995. He retired much too young. Clayoquot Sound protests became too much. He just didn't want to deal with such things anymore after 30 years of it. You probably know by now that the fellow you saw was not one of the people hurt.
Yesterday they promised that there would not be any rain. It was just starting when I got off work at 6:00 PM (I took the time to buy a turkey after work so it probably started about 6:20 PM. Has not quit since. It poured all night and it's still pouring now. I hope the promise of sunshine on Tuesday is good. We have a family night out to my brother's for a sing along and dinner. Should be good fun no matter the weather.

 

[VanIsle]

Your not nit-picking Juan
In this little city, they have a tiny little snow plough for the sidewalks, does
a very neat job. There is lots of walking here, many people walk to and from town,
and that prevents them from having to walk on the road, and yes, some of them
are older, some on scooters, many with kids and strollers/sleighs. Last winter
we had snow for quite awhile, at least for this neck of the woods.

You have hit on the problem here though Talloola. The sidewalks are not cleaned by the city. Lots of people walk everywhere but I think the city depends on people using the Parkway Trail for walking rather than thinking about them using city sidewalks. I see people on scooters off the sidewalks and out in the side of the traffic lane. Scares me to see them out there. Pedestrians are there too. I have never seen one of the small poughs being used here but they must use one somewhere. I live across the street from a home for wheelchair bound people. I don't know exactly what it is because there is no sign - it's just a regular house from my view but I don't see where the sidewalk gets cleared even there. The HandyDart stops there daily and several people come in and out using wheel chairs. The driver assists them. I live in a patio home so it's not quite like we can dash over and assist anyone. I can see them but I'm sure by the time one of us got across there, they would be gone anyway. There is a large fenced yard around our property.

 

[JLM]

You have hit on the problem here though Talloola. The sidewalks are not cleaned by the city. Lots of people walk everywhere but I think the city depends on people using the Parkway Trail for walking rather than thinking about them using city sidewalks. I see people on scooters off the sidewalks and out in the side of the traffic lane. Scares me to see them out there. Pedestrians are there too. I have never seen one of the small poughs being used here but they must use one somewhere. I live across the street from a home for wheelchair bound people. I don't know exactly what it is because there is no sign - it's just a regular house from my view but I don't see where the sidewalk gets cleared even there. The HandyDart stops there daily and several people come in and out using wheel chairs. The driver assists them. I live in a patio home so it's not quite like we can dash over and assist anyone. I can see them but I'm sure by the time one of us got across there, they would be gone anyway. There is a large fenced yard around our property.

We had fairly heavy snow falls in Vernon earlier in the week. I have yet to see any of those sidewalk ploughs here, but I do notice some of the sidewalks being cleared by the people who live adjacent. That to me seems like a good idea (no sidewalk in front of my place :lol as it should help to reduce taxes. On the flip side when taking my walk I walk on the road many times as the sidewalks are treacherous. However they are cleared, they should be if the powers that be are really serious about getting people out of their cars. I personally think able bodied residents should clear the sidewalk in front of their place and maybe it wouldn't hurt them to do it for an elderly neighbour.

 

[taxslave]

They don't have to clean driveways - just lift the blade so they don't block them either. As I said earlier, that's what the grader driver in PG did.

Not practical. The proper way would be to plow to the middle of the road and truck the windrows away but it costs more.

 

[Johnnny]

winter hasnt shown up in sudbury yet till december 21st

 

[taxslave]

We had fairly heavy snow falls in Vernon earlier in the week. I have yet to see any of those sidewalk ploughs here, but I do notice some of the sidewalks being cleared by the people who live adjacent. That to me seems like a good idea (no sidewalk in front of my place :lol as it should help to reduce taxes. On the flip side when taking my walk I walk on the road many times as the sidewalks are treacherous. However they are cleared, they should be if the powers that be are really serious about getting people out of their cars. I personally think able bodied residents should clear the sidewalk in front of their place and maybe it wouldn't hurt them to do it for an elderly neighbour.

You realize that by shoveling the sidewalk in front of your house you are taking away high paying union jobs?LOL

 

[Ron in Regina]

lol. Not to mention the City. Do they even have more than one plowtruck there?

PlowTrucks for the Highways, just Graders in the City....but we do have Sanding Trucks. :lol:
(Population of about 225,000 or so)

 

[bobnoorduyn]

One thing about living on the other coast is that you could end up with this:

This:

Or this:

 

[AnnaG]

lol or in the BC interior like this: