Since I began my Health and Fitness Journey four years ago, I have focussed on Body, Mind, and Soul – physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.
Today, I am focussed on all three, not just for myself, but for those around me.
When I got up this morning it felt like -44 ° celcius (-47.6 ° fahrenheit) with the windchill. It wasn’t much better without it! 🥶
That is brutal for anyone who must venture out. We are fortunate that we have the option to stay in our home, snug and warm and comfortable in our retirement. But, I feel for those who have to deal with this weather – as would any normal human being with an ounce of empathy.
But empathy be damned. Our city planners, managers, mayor, councillors, and any and all overpaid city hierarchy who have a voice in such decisions – decided this was a good day to unleash the city graders on our residential streets.
This is our street. The photo does not do the situation justice. The grader operator (under order from those higher up on the chain of command no doubt) passed up and down our street – scraping off the solid pack of ice and snow (which was not causing any issue) and pushed it up against the sidewalks.
It is hard to tell, but this is not a lttle ridge of snow. It is higher and wider than it looks. It is a solid, impenetrable barrier of ice and snow. The city will not be back to clear it away. (This is not a one and done – this is an annual event in recent years.)
Our neighbours who do not have the luxury of offstreet parking, will return from work unable to park in front of their homes. They will park as close as they can, and risk exiting their vehicle in traffic – then struggle to climb over this city built obstacle – carrying tots from daycare, groceries, and whatever else they need, to go about their daily lives.
Delivery drivers will risk life and limb to climb over these icy ridges, as will seniors accessing their vehicles, as will people – especially those with mobility issues, struggling to access public transit.
For most people in our city, life at minus 44 degrees is more than an inconvenience. That our city would do anything as unconcienable, dangerous, and stupid to make things harder is beyond comprehehension.
It is not a matter of finances. Our city has no issue raising taxes, or spending outrageous sums on vanity projects, or paying obscene severance packages to incompetent city managers who should never have been hired in the first place. They have no problem buying electric buses – in Saskatchewan 🤦♀️, questionable artwork, and so much more.
It is beyond stupid and irresponsible. It is a danger to our physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing and that of our friends, neighbours, and family.
Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie 
Wow, that is just awful! I cant imagine how cold it must be there Anne! X
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I think the city should have let nature take care of the snow instead of creating issues for you residents. Stupid. The ice may help slow the traffic too if anyone has a lick of common sense. That heavy ice and snow could give people a heart attack too. I’m with you, Anne…
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A bad situation.
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Let’s hope someone listens to you!
Gwen.
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It is to be expected here, brutal but expected.
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Destroy a snow blower as well. Plus making the streets unpassable – especially once people get home and have to park half in the driving lane.
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It happens every year. People speak out. Nothing changes. 🤦♀️
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Stupidity is everywhere. We once had a snowplow close our dead end street (with five houses on it) by plowing it closed. Several of us went out and shoveled it open. That was quicker than complaining to the town and waiting days for results.
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That’s what Dan usually does but we are running out of shovels that can deal with this and it destroyed our last snowblower. But stupidity is everywhere for sure! 🤨
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Last year when we had snow they did the same thing. They left a huge pile at the end of my driveway that took several days to melt. It is ridiculous the decisions so make. I can’t even imagine living where it gets to minus 44 degrees.
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Rediculous🤦♀️ It is supposed to get worse tomorrow but start warming up in early February. 👍 I sure hope so for those who have to deal with it every day. So grateful that I no longer have to.
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That happened to me too when we were living in another Sask city. They pushed such a blockade of snow into my driveway that I couldn’t get out of my garage to get to work. I was so irate! I called the city and told them that not only could I not get to work as a nurse, but if I was sick or injured and an ambulance couldn’t get to me, then I’d hold them legally responsible for the outcome.
I also reminded them that there was a city bylaw that said I couldn’t shovel my snow onto the street, so why then can they push snow onto my driveway and endanger both the people in my care that I couldn’t get to and myself in my own home?
They were back to plow me out within the hour and the entire rest of the time we lived there, the plow operator lifted the blade at our driveway.
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