Dear Editor:
It’s my understanding that Ponoka has a bylaw requiring people to shovel the sidewalk in front of their home within 48 hours of a snowfall. Clearly, this is not enforced, and I am unhappy about that.
Virtually every morning before 6 a.m., I walk three to four kilometres around Lucas Heights. Most of the walk is fine, however there are some homes where the front sidewalk has not been shovelled for weeks, two or three at least. Most of the time, this is simply an annoyance — people being too lazy to make passage across the front of their property easier for their neighbors. However, with the recent drastic changes in weather, the sidewalk in front of these homes is icy and bumpy. A person with uncertain footing, or a frail hip, could become a serious casualty just moving along the street.
53rd Avenue and 59th Street are particularly bad. Now that the road has been plowed, the untouched sidewalks stand out dramatically. Walking on the road is the only option, putting the walker in the path of early morning trucks starting their day in the dark, with sleepy drivers.
I believe it would be appropriate for the town’s bylaw officer or officers to ticket these homes, or for the Town of Ponoka to clear the sidewalk and invoice the owners.
It would be cheaper than a broken hip and a lawsuit, as I see it.
James Strachan