For those of us in the Lower Mainland, White Christmases exist mainly in the realm of fantasy musicals. But if Arctic air moves in before the snow turns to slush this week, chances are higher than usual that we could still see snow on the ground come Dec. 25.
There is an undeniable beauty to the snow we received Tuesday morning.
And if we could all continue to live in a Christmas card scene, avoiding the harried obligations of the season, it might remain so.
But the snow has also been a gentle but firm reminder about our responsibilities as Canadians.
Our municipalities and TransLink say they’re doing all they can to keep the roads clear and transit running. But snow clearing capacity is determined by the ability to pay for it. Local municipalities spent a lot more than they’d intended to on snow clearing last year. And they are crafting their 2018 budgets as we speak.
There’s also the matter of snow tires. If you don’t have them on your car, leave it in park. It’s not just your commute you are putting in peril. A bus can only go as fast as the car with the worst tires in front of it.
We also ask that everyone observe their local bylaws and shovel their sidewalks for the safety of those travelling on foot, particularly before that snow and slush gets frozen.
For home and business owners who prefer to wait for it to melt, we hope your stocking gets filled with bylaw infraction notices.
Lastly, perhaps we can take a moment and recognize the snow as a blessing in disguise. This blast of winter weather may be just what was needed for us all to, collectively, slow down.
This is a stressful time of year. No one wants to start their Christmas holidays filling out ICBC forms or worse.
What are your thoughts? Send us a letter via email by clicking here or post a comment below.
