Ottawa city staff asked resident Doug Rochow to stop plowing a popular city-owned walkway near his house. Plans are now in the works to maintain the paths next year.
Ottawa resident Doug Rochow is the type of guy that looks after his neighbours.
So when he discovered the city wasn't clearing snow from two well-used pathways near his home that lead to a church, among other amenities, the Good Samaritan decided to plow them himself, something he has done for the past five years.
But about a month ago, two city bureaucrats knocked on his door and told him to stop, forcing him to park his snow blower while people continued to traverse the dangerous shortcut in east-end Orleans.
"I've been doing this for the last five or six years because the city hasn't been," said Rochow. "There have been people who have injured themselves (when it wasn't cleared)."
One woman told Rochow she sprained her ankle and was stuck in the snow two hours waiting for someone to come by when the path wasn't cleared. He has sent letters and emails to the city trying to get them to fill his shoes.
Yet the city has chosen to leave the path neglected. Citizens are expected not to use paths that aren't cleared, but there aren't any signs that warn people the route is dangerous or to use it at their own risk, Rochow said.
"What (the city) is not getting is that safe or unsafe the path is used," said Pastor Dan MacKinnon, whose church, Grace Presbyterian Church, is just off the winding shortcut that leads to shopping centres, a school and major bus stops.
The path is "downright treacherous" when not maintained, he added. Rochow was just trying to keep people safe when the city refused to, he said. "That's not the kind of person the city needs to discourage."
The city's rational is that the path is unsafe for use in the winter and if someone were to have an accident on the plowed path, it would be held liable for any injuries, explained Ottawa Councillor Bob Monette.
Monette is disappointed Rochow was told to stop volunteering, but says he understands the city's concerns. "To have a resident clear the pathway, it gives the indication that it's a safe pathway to use," Monette said.
As it stands, it's not, said Kevin Wylie, manager of Ottawa's roads and traffic operations. The steep path leads to a busy road and a person in a wheelchair could lose control with tragic consequences if it weren't cleared properly, Wylie said.
"We don't deny that it's a critical pedestrian link," Wylie said. "We want to get it open, but we want to get it open safely." That means for seniors, children and people with impaired mobility, he said.
The pathways didn't meet the criteria for winter maintenance as they are within 400 metres of another path and an alternative route exists.
But the other route adds almost two kilometres to the walk from the neighbourhood to the main street.
Before his cease-and-desist order, it took Rochow more than an hour to get to and plow both walkways, and it cost him about $100 a year to buy the necessary salt.
"I have the resources, I have the inclination to be helpful and that's basically it," said Rochow. "I like to make a difference."
Since Rochow stopped plowing, the city has taken notice. Plans are in the works for the shortcut to be regraded, a handrail installed and for it to be maintained next winter, roads manager Wylie said. Councillor Monette will meet with the city to discuss changes next week.
Note:This article has been edited from a previous version.
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1141453--ottawa-bureaucrats-tell-good-samaritan-to-stop-plowing-snow?bn=1 - March 5, 2012
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