.

Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

By Herb Mathisen
Northern News Services
Published Tuesday, January 27, 2009

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - After waging a war against litter this summer, one of Yellowknife's litter brigade leaders has turned his sights on a new foe: sidewalk snow.

Paul Falvo is leading a charge to help those who are unable to shovel their sidewalks.

City councillor and sworn enemy of litter Paul Falvo has shifted his grime-fighting attention towards a new foe this winter: sidewalk snow. Falvo is looking for Winter Samaritans – volunteers to help clear snow from the sidewalks of neighbours who are unable to do it themselves. - Herb Mathisen/NNSL photo

"People have talked a lot about the pioneer spirit of the North and the spirit of neighbourliness that we have in Yellowknife and I think it is very true," he said.

"I'm confident that we can get it together to do this."

The city councillor is setting up a database to collect the addresses of people who need snow clearing and names of residents who can provide the shovelling service when they are able to.

On Friday, he said he had already rounded up six “Winter Samaritans.”

"All women, interestingly," he added.

Falvo said the proposed city snow-shovelling bylaw – requiring owners of residences and businesses outside the city's downtown core to clear sidewalks – was the project's catalyst.

At a council meeting two weeks ago, Healther Clarke with the NWT Council of Persons with Disabilities said some residents with disabilities would have difficulty or be unable to clear their sidewalks. Seniors and residents whose work requires them to leave the city for stretches of time were also mentioned as people who may have troubles keeping their sidewalks snow-free.

Marjorie Sandercock, executive director of the Yellowknife Seniors' Society, said she would welcome the Winter Samaritans program.

"I think it's a great idea," she said.

As yet, no seniors had visited her to raise concerns about having to clear their sidewalks, but she added some seniors with chronic health issues or without family in the city could have troubles.

Also, she said many seniors have trouble getting around in the winter, from a combination of the cold as well as the sloppy states of sidewalks.

"I think most seniors just give up trying to walk anywhere in the winter," she said.

Falvo said a lot of people are already helping their neighbours by shovelling their snow and "he doesn't want to make something formal that wasn't formal before."

"I'm just trying to reach a few people we might have missed before."

He said other cities have groups like the Winter Samaritans who help people who are unable to shovel their sidewalks.

Jenny Moores is a Winter Samaritan-to-be.

She said when Falvo sent out an email with his intentions early last week, she didn't have a reason not to join up.

"I was happy to help out," she said. "I haven't been called to duty yet."

Falvo said Winter Samaritans will have to sign waivers for health precautions and he will be sending out shovelling safety tips to anyone who is interested. He wanted to make sure people were healthy enough to do the shovelling.

Interested Yellowknifers can contact Falvo to become a Winter Samaritan, with his contact information available on the city's website.

Falvo said this group would be a little more informal than the litter pick-up group, but will be attacking sidewalks with the same gusto.

"I was saying to Walt Humphries the other day that we should just look at the snow as a different form of litter," he said.

"We have a winter sport and a summer sport now," he said.