When it comes to the problems Prince George has had in the last six weeks with snow removal, there is plenty of blame to be shared and there is no single cause of the treacherous icy mess disguised as city streets.
In a previous editorial, I wrote that we're proud to be called a winter city but we sure do complain a lot when winter overwhelms us and the people responsible with clearing our roads for a short time. Sometimes it snows and sometimes it snows a lot in rapid succession. The temperature fluctuations and the amount of snow that's fallen on Prince George in a short period has been unusual and problematic. No one is debating that.
The debate, of course, has been the reaction (or some would say, the inaction) of the city in removing the snow and ice from local streets.
Many of the complaints have often strayed into exaggeration. A quick search through our archive uncovers letters to the editor and stories with comments from residents from years past declaring this "the worst winter ever" for snow removal. Most references to early years contain the phrase "that winter was bad but this one is worse." Many irate residents insist this is the worst they've ever seen snow removal in Prince George and they've lived in the city for (insert number here) years. These residents are simply joining a long list of residents from previous years who proclaimed the exact same thing.
That's not to say that the concerns about local roads is unwarranted. The streets have been in terrible shape for more than a month and the thawing this week have made them even worse. No neighbourhood has been immune. It's been as bad in College Heights as it has been in the Hart, although the greater amount of snow in the north end of the city has exacerbated an already existing problem.
In Wednesday's editorial, I criticized both Coun. Brian Skakun and Mayor Shari Green for how they've responded online to comments from residents upset about snow removal. Their words and their leadership so far on this matter have been disappointing. Their numerous political differences aside, the only way to improve snow removal will be the two of them working together with their other seven council colleagues to make the necessary changes. Hopefully, that starts Monday, when city council is expected to receive a staff report on the state of snow clearing.
Yet it's not just the politicians that must wear some of the responsibility for the sad state of local streets. City staff must also accept some of the blame, too, starting at the top. Along with his duties as operations superintendent, Bill Gaal was also a member of the negotiating committee during contract negotiations and often spoke to the news media on behalf of the city. There is simply no possible way he could have managed snow removal across the city as effectively as normal while juggling the complexities of collective bargaining. When the person ultimately in charge is distracted by other pressing issues, that's a problem.
Like Gaal, the city unionized staff must also take their small share of the blame. For the union leadership to say that snow removal staff worked as hard as usual during the height of the labour dispute with the city is naive, bordering on dishonest. It doesn't matter whether people are making $10 an hour or $100 an hour, when they are fighting with their employer over a new contract, when they feel under appreciated by their bosses and by the public,and when they're worried that they might be walking a picket line in the next day or two, performance on the job is going to be affected.
That's just human nature.
To be clear, this is not to say city workers didn't do their jobs but, just like Gaal, the circumstances interfered with them doing the better job they would have done under normal circumstances.
In other words, the labour dispute between the city and its unionized staff was clearly a contributing factor towards the wretched roads. Despite what both the city and the union told residents in December and early January, the streets clearly show that it was not business as usual at the City of Prince George.
With the ink dried on a new contract, let's hope politicians, management and city workers get back to providing the level of service they all agree local residents deserve.
