Snow removal in Owen Sound is unforgivably bad.

Not that the folks who remove the snow don't do a good job, there just aren't enough of them.

We got a lot of snow this past weekend. By the time I drove to work, the roads had been cleared, then covered up with a fresh layer of snow, which quickly turned to slush.

I watched cars spin out, I saw cars lose control, and I saw some cars slide backwards down the 8th Street East hill.

The sidewalks had not been cleared.

When I decided not to spend an hour digging my vehicle out, and instead walked to work the following day, the sidewalks had still not been cleared.

On Sunday, the snow finally stopped. My partner and I walked to the grocery store on the side of the icy, slushy roads in the dark because the sidewalks had not been cleared.

I am truly surprised we don't hear about more pedestrians being struck during the winter months.

Why are pedestrians forced to walk on the road when it is the least safe for them to do so?

I've been told by a few different people that it's the responsibility of the homeowner to shovel the sidewalk in front of their house.

I think that sounds ridiculous. First of all, no other city I've ever heard of has put residents in charge of infrastructure maintenance.

Secondly, it fails to take into account all the folks who can't physically shovel due to mobility issues, or just plain don't want to do something that shouldn't be their responsibility.

The City of Owen Sound should be doing a much better job of snow removal.

There's no excuse.

Andy Elliot, Owen Sound