Today’s letters: No, snow-plow services can’t give rebates

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A letter-writer refers to the “windfall profits“ snow removal operators such as myself have made this year.

Almost all of my costs this year are the same as last. Insurance. Tractor loan payments. Tractor maintenance. Even labour costs are the same. Drivers are paid a monthly retainer to be on call all winter 24/7. They receive this even if there is zero snow.

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We went out for eight snow events this year. We average about 18. In those eight events, I managed to have damage to one tractor that cost more than $10,000 to fix.

One area we did save money on was fuel. Divided among my hundreds of customers, that amounts to about $16 for each customer. Having to pay an employee to send hundreds of rebate etransfers, as the letter suggested, would quickly eat up a sizeable portion of this “windfall.”

When companies charge “extra“ for a season that produces more than 250 cm of snow (this has happened three times in last 15 years), it is so we do not go broke. It is not cause for a party, believe me.

After years of being slaves to Mother Nature, to random and maddening city snowplow schedules, to some extremely demanding and impatient customers, with sleep deprivation, overnight shifts and so on, I don’t feel much guilt about my $16 per customer “windfall.”

Ray Marks, Ottawa

Environment should not be political

Re: City of Ottawa must stop accepting fossil-fuel advertising — now, March 18.

There was a time when environmental issues weren’t political, and important decisions concerning the environment — such as tackling acid rain and the hole in the ozone layer — were addressed worldwide.

Prime Minister Brian Mulroney showed great leadership dealing with environmental protection through the Montreal Accord. Now environmental issues are very divisive; it’s extremely difficult to have any rational discussion on how we can avoid the severe impacts of climate change based on science.

Nancy Biggs, Orléans

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