Readers react to ’snow-removal’ providers in Metro Vancouver

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In contrast to many municipalities, right here in Port Coquitlam we obtain terrific snow-clearing. We dwell on a small cul-de-sac with solely eight properties and but our road was plowed and salted by 8 p.m. on Wednesday. This simply reveals that it’s attainable to provide the essential providers to taxpayers after they’re wanted.

J. Inglis, Port Coquitlam

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In contrast to a lot of Canada, 15 centimetres of snow brings issues to a screeching halt within the Decrease Mainland. I acquired an hour of train this morning clearing snow from my guardian’s yard.

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My spouse stated, “Simply rent a service.” My thought was, “Like hiring an electrician, good luck.” Odds are the workforce lives deep within the Fraser Valley, on Vancouver Island or within the B.C. Inside.

Many important, usually poorly paid jobs can’t be carried out remotely. Attributable to nosebleed housing prices, many individuals dwell lengthy distance from their work. Even distant employees rely upon B.C. Hydro and telecom-line work crews to maintain utilities working.

A lot of our important employees, even fairly well-paid ones like cops and nurses, can’t afford to dwell close to the place they work.

After a snowfall, homecare aides are unavailable for days. Retirement properties and hospitals are short-staffed. The B.C. Ambulance Service should be struggling to employees its ambulances with paramedics. Hospitals are onerous sufficient to employees even at the very best of instances.

What if there’s a real catastrophe, equivalent to a flood, earthquake or wildfire?

Emergency response personnel, starting from police to firefighters to B.C. Hydro line technicians dwell dozens of kilometres from the communities the place they work.

Within the case of a catastrophe, it could be higher for an individual dwelling on the twenty third flooring of a downtown Vancouver apartment constructing to drive if the roads are intact or stroll to security, as an alternative of ready for emergency crews to reach.

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John Shepherd, Richmond

Re: B.C. authorities ought to present some modesty

Vaughn Palmer states that B.C. Hydro, and the federal government, shouldn’t be so self-congratulatory about their success through the current chilly snap. In fact, they are going to brag after they have the prospect. That’s politics.

However Palmer is true to say that they should do extra. Electrical energy can be wanted to interchange fossil fuels for transportation and heating. It is going to be wanted to provide hydrogen to be used in cement crops, metal mills and long-haul vehicles. The drought situations that scale back accessible hydro energy would possibly turn into frequent occasions because of local weather change.

Web site C won’t be sufficient. We have to increase set up of photo voltaic for properties, business and neighbourhood sensible grids. And we have to scale back consumption wherever attainable.

Due to Palmer for that report.

Invoice McConnell, Surrey

Entrance web page criticism of Bay out of line

Re: ‘Difficult setting’: Consumers decry state of disrepair at Vancouver’s flagship Bay retailer.

Maybe the Granville and Georgia Avenue location of the HBC retailer may use new escalators or elevators however the criticism on the entrance web page of The Vancouver Solar was out of line.

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We by no means learn in regards to the elevator within the new meals chain retailer in Coquitlam, for instance, not functioning correctly at instances however we proceed to make use of the shop with out making feedback to the media.

The downtown Vancouver HBC retailer has at all times been our household’s “go-to retailer” for no less than the previous 60-plus years and there’s no argument that issues have modified however so have instances. It’s not Canadian-owned and a chat with the merchandise patrons could also be vital as a way to once more appeal to the individuals and their households who’ve been their long-standing clients.

It’s these folks that merchandise ought to be geared to as they store within the retailer on the lookout for the standard items that the HBC was at all times identified for.

Let’s encourage them, not belittle them.

L. Newsome, Coquitlam

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