For years, visitors to uptown White Rock – particularly those on scooters, in wheelchairs and with strollers – have struggled to navigate buckled sidewalks.
Tree roots have increasingly broken through the Johnston Road brickwork, creating tripping hazards for even the most agile pedestrians.
Last week, a solution was put into motion, with crews out in force to remove the trees. But if civic leaders were expected to be thanked, the majority of residents who reached out had entirely different messages for them.
So what went wrong?
Firstly, while the city made efforts to warn businesses of the work, residents were still in the dark – at least until the first chainsaw started up that Sunday at 4:45 a.m.
Secondly, many questioned why the decision was made at all. Some doubted the explanation that they were “the wrong trees in the wrong place,” some asked why the trees couldn’t have been replanted and a number distrusted the city’s assertion that many were in poor health.
The timing was said to be selected for safety and speed, and there was no need to notify residents as the trees weren’t “right adjacent” to residences, according to the city manager. Perhaps, but they certainly were nearby, particularly when one considers how soundwaves of chainsaws bounce off the pavement and the growing number of highrises.
To be fair to civic leaders, the decision to fell the trees wasn’t made behind closed doors. They have, for years, openly discussed fixing their damaged sidewalks, yet they’re now being accused of not engaging the public.
While city leaders might resist shouldering blame on this one, we would encourage them to ponder how they got to this stage, where they made the right decision for the right reason, yet still ended up being painted as wrong.
To be candid, the current leadership has been seen as making it increasingly difficult for residents to be heard: eliminating question period, openly criticizing those who question decisions and shutting down speakers.
Given past decisions clearly being made behind closed doors, it’s little wonder some residents are quick to jump to that assumption.
The solution is for city leaders to accept responsibility, to truly learn to engage their electorate and to realize that communication is a two-way street.
