Panel data provided by Madison's Canadian Lumber Reporter.

The Beauty of Winter

By Jack deWit

by Jack deWit 

It is truly amazing to observe the diversity in landowner’s pride of ownership as you drive around the Prince George area. Some neighbourhoods are meticulously kept while two blocks down the street you find dilapidated houses with trashed cars, stored goods, and plain old garbage in the front and back yards. There is no need for any home in the city, and more so in the rural area where unsightly areas tend to be larger, to be neglected to a point where it becomes an embarrassment and health hazard to those who reside across the street or next door.

Why does this trouble me? Well, it’s a simply thing called “civic and personal pride”.

Under most circumstances the largest purchase the average person will make in their lifetime is there home. Owning a home does not come without its pitfalls. It costs money to maintain a home and yard in good condition. However, it is much more economical to make repairs as they are needed rather than to ignore the problem until it accumulates to a point where it becomes very expensive to rectify. The same applies to collected items that we think we might use at a future date. In most cases those items become junk that eventually has to be removed at an escalated expense.

Most homeowners are proud of their accomplishments and make serious attempts to preserve their property in the best condition they can afford. It is those that have no pride that let their homes slide to disgraceful conditions. Many rented properties fall into this category and eventually becomes the responsibility of the landowner.

I have always held the opinion that even the world’s most destitute pauper can maintain a relatively clean and orderly existence. All it requires is some pride in yourself and your surroundings.

I accept the fact that as people we have dissimilar priorities and standards in our lifestyles. However, when it reaches a point where you are endangering your neighbour’s health or devaluating your neighbouring lands, I think it becomes an issue where our civic government and regional district administrations must step in to maintain some sense of environmental safety and an esthetic benchmark. Prince George city and regional district bylaw staff must spend more time advising residents of the hazards of unkempt properties. In cases it may be necessary to use the courts to force the worst offenders to comply with accepted standards. As a matter of fact, I believe the latter option is not used nearly enough!

Another option that I have often considered would be to increase the taxes on those properties that are maintained as junkyards and a possible health risk. To keep a property clean and tidy requires no exceptional skills, rather just labour and time.

There are developments in and around Prince George where restricted covenants registered on the land title sets the standards for exterior maintenance of private properties. In this instance the property owner knows, at the time of purchase, what will be expected of them. This process was instituted many years ago to assist in maintaining a suitable balance within a neighbourhood.

So as we enter our winter period, the snow will cover those sights we wish to ignore creating a balance of white from street to street. For five months most quarters of the city and the rural areas will share symmetry of colour contrasted only be assorted shapes and shadows.



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