Editor:
The District of Sechelt (DOS) does have a bylaw that requires all residents to clear the snow from the sidewalks surrounding their property. We must all do our best to do this however:
Residents do not own those sidewalks. Any damage that we inflict on them must be repaired at the residents’ cost.
If we do clear the snow and a member of the public should fall on any remaining snow or ice then we are liable for all costs and compensation. My property insurance does not cover this.
There are many reasons why residents simply cannot remove the snow. Physical limitation, illness, injuries, away on vacation and age just to mention a few.
If challenged in court this local law could not be enforced. To the person in West Sechelt who threw crude and abusive notes onto residents’ driveways insisting that "you ******* managed to clear the drive but not the sidewalks. I will report you to the DOS's By Law Officer”? Grow up. You achieved nothing. A sensible conversation could have revealed why a particular sidewalk had not been cleared.
Paul Rhodes, West Sechelt
