Winter Walking and Cycling

[MidTowner]

https://www.waterloochronicle.ca/news-st...-waterloo/

"If you have a neighbourhood issue, where do you go? City or to your neighbour? According to the City of Waterloo, more and more are relying on the municipality."

This byline is the worst, but the article perpetuates a fundamental failure to understand the problems with sidewalk clearing.

I have called in literally thousands of uncleared sidewalk complaints.  Not one has ever been for a neighbour.  I am happy to clear my neighbours walk the odd time.

However, I am unable to clear the hundreds of uncleared sidewalks I walk on, on my way to my destination.  How do I have a conversation with that person, who isn't my neighbour, who I don't know, and only intend to spend a few seconds in front of their house, and who in many cases lives in a different country.

I wish they would perpetuating this falsehood that sidewalks are only about the one in front of your house.

This is really well-said. I'm not sure Shayne Turner has thought things through: he's suggesting, as an official of the City, that residents take it upon themselves to confront property owners to inform them that they need to clear their sidewalks? I've happened to do this in the past, when for instance I see someone clearing off their car to go out in the morning, leaving their sidewalk uncleared. Often it's been fine ("you're right, sorry, I will get to it"), but I've also been sworn at and so on.

I don't report on my neighbours, either, and particularly wouldn't if I actually knew them. I just do it for them, and when it comes up I have a conversation about what a challenge my kids and I find uncleared sidewalks. I can't do this for everyone, either.

What if, rather than us just being increasingly whiny and "reliant on the City to solve our issues," as Shayne Turner says, the increase in complaints is because people are walking more? The City of Waterloo spends resources on an active transportation committee which, among other things, seeks to increase awareness of the positive aspects of walking, and reduce dependence on cars. What is that committee were achieving some success, and people were going out to walk, only to then find that the sidewalks are impassable?