Maybe the net was cast too wide

I have to vent.

With all due respect to St. John’s Mayor Danny Breen, I think we are heading to a potential nightmare in declaring future states of emergency.

I see no reason to shut down Mount Pearl and Paradise because Gower Street in downtown St. John’s is clogged with snow.

Maybe we just need the ability to close areas of the city, or any municipality, to traffic as needed. Regatta Day is a good example. The city is able to control traffic on a lot of streets, over a wide area, to control access to the area. The rest of metro functions very well. Mount Pearl and Paradise operate normally.

In times of heavy need, put barriers, military or vehicles in strategic spots to stop access to areas.

Right now in Mount Pearl, sidewalks are clear, roads are widened, there is no need for schools to be closed.

Traffic is relatively light and people are able to get supplies and chores done.

Seems we can’t deal with the small picture anymore; there is an all-or-nothing mentality developing.

I mean, we don’t shut down the water supply to the whole city because there’s a water line break on Topsail Road. If the ice machine breaks down in one stadium, we don’t cancel hockey in all arenas. There is life outside the Foran Bunker on Gower Street.

What this storm has shown is that the smaller municipalities do have the ability to deal with the crisis in their own boundaries. The people who live in these towns/cities are fed, warm and safe. They may be missing work, but they are safe, fed and warm.

I do think Mayor Breen, and other mayors, are doing well under the circumstances. No libel or malice intended!

Paul Hillyard

Mount Pearl