I moved to Castlegar in February 2011 to pastor at Castlegar Christian Fellowship.We moved from a country that does not experience winters such as you do here. That in itself is surprising as the U.K. sits on the same latitude as northern B.C.
However, the U.K. also sits on northern arm of the Gulf Stream which brings warm water to its shores. Our winters are, therefore, less harsh than yours are. This creates a difficulty for our road crews when it snows.
The last three years have seen some of the worst snows the U.K. has seen in a number of years, and it almost brought the whole country to a standstill. Heathrow, the country’s biggest airport was closed for 2/3 days! Major freeways and highways were blocked, and we had a country full of grumbling commuters.
Over here you have to deal with more snow and freezing rain than I have experienced in a long time, and yet the roads remain open, and staff can get to workplaces. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication shown by all who work on the road crews.
To all those who work on the roads to keep them clear and safe, in and around our area, and in some circumstances risk their lives to do so in order that we can travel safely, a huge thank you and keep safe this year.
-Gordon Malcolm
Castlegar