I read your article “Paradise Takes a Little Effort” (The Leader, Aug. 31) and I agree.
However, I feel the City of Surrey also needs to do more. I live across from a small park (in fact there is another one at the end of the street in the opposite direction as well) which backs onto an elementary school.
It would help if the city supplied a garbage can for litter, etc. The small park down the street is very poorly looked after – leaves are never raked in the fall, piles of grass clippings are left laying around, etc. also no garbage cans.
I also feel city crews should be stopping when they are out and about to pick up litter. Last spring, while driving to work, I would see cardboard, boards, debris in the median for weeks on end and this on a main road (152 Street).
I feel our gardeners need to do a much better job, especially on the main streets such as Fraser Highway, 152 Street, 72, 64 and 88 Avenues, etc. The bushes are often untrimmed, the weeds growing as high or higher than those bushes and too many weeds are growing up at the seams – where medians are paved and meet a curb.
Only yesterday did I see a crew trimming the grass edges on some medians, so they didn’t slop over onto the curb/road. This was on 64 Avenue. Where were they May to September? Are they going to clean the other streets?
Our city (Surrey) is giving a grant to neighbourhoods to beautify a space in my neighbourhood. I already do that, as do the residents, on my street. Our yards are great. Use the grant money to fix, improve an area that the city will keep up.
Recently I visited my daughter in Regina, Sask. Their main streets are maintained, fence to fence (sidewalk, grass, median, road). Surprise. Something they do that may help us look good and save money – all medians have grass planted in them, with trees. Grass is cut, trees are watered.
The end (near intersections) of each median area is paved – but during the growing season has large planters filled with great-looking flowers. I think this means little weeding, trimming and yet it looks great. One does not see weeds growing from one side of the highway to the other and yet, planters make it cheerful.
Ask Regina what they do. I’m sure it costs less and it looks great.
Rita Spearman
Surrey