I have followed the story of the ‘vigilante snow removal’ in our community for several days now and felt I must write to comment.
How wonderful that our community pitches in together to assist each other in times of need. I have witnessed strangers banding together to push vehicles out of parking lots, subdivisions, and driveways. Snow angels helping seniors and others dig out from the storm when they are unable. But though it certainly is appreciated, we must remain safe and keep within the confines of our laws.
I have seen neighbours on quads shovel out my street, but I have also seen these neighbours use this as an excuse to take out their new toy that otherwise shouldn’t be on city streets, some snow pushing with a little joy riding thrown in here or there. If we start changing bylaws, what would be the criteria for a major snowstorm? Five centimetres of snow or ten, and for how long should the storm last? Should we start changing bylaws so that folks on their snowmobiles can now hop on and deliver milk and groceries to seniors and others in a snowstorm? Another excuse for new toys being used for the common good. Should we allow looting of hardware stores after a tornado? How far can this really go?
The RCMP tried to maintain order and keep our streets as safe as they could considering how terrible the roads were for all of us driving. Though we may not always agree with law enforcement (I have some serious issues with photo radar) we still need to respect that they are doing their job for the safety and concern of our citizens. The lack of respect I have read in letters this week is appalling to me. These are the St. Albert RCMP, the people who protect and work in our community. We should at least respect the basic premise of law. People complain about the disrespect and sense of entitlement of our youth in this community. Perhaps the adults should look at themselves first.
Doreen Slessor, Sturgeon County
