A Lowe Drive resident in Cawston is more than a little disappointed after an Argo Road Maintenance contractor out of Penticton brushed a ditch in front of her property on February 12.
“They came to tell me what they were going to do the day before,” said Ruth Schulz, who lives at 886 Lowe Drive.
“It looks like they reached as high as they could go and just stripped it,” she said as she surveyed the row of pine and lilac lining her property and bordering the ditch.
“You couldn’t see through the bush,” she said, pointing to a row of pine that had been stripped of the first six or seven feet of branches.
“I can’t wrap my head around this. There is no way you can call this a ‘nice job.’”
Schulz said that she thought an understanding had been undertaken when she discussed the matter with Argo the previous day, adding that she had voiced her concerns about overstripping.
The trees and shrubs had been planted to prevent bank erosion. Most of the vegetation appeared to be in front of the property line.
“I never expected this type of devastation,” said Schulz, obviously distraught.
“These will just produce sucker growth now,” she added, pointing to a clump of juniper.
“There was no reason for them to do what they did.”
Schulz understood the need to remove some of the overhanging brush, admitting as well that most of the work was done along or outside the property line.
“I called staff from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastrucure about this. They sent two staff, who were here and took photos as well,” she concluded.
“It really makes no sense at all. This is a really nice job? I don’t think so.”