A Zamboni for the ages

Who among us has not resorted to desperate measures during this strange time of snow not only falling out of the sky, but actually piling up on the ground?

Vancouver Islanders are using a phrase that is seldom heard on the coast: “It’s starting to stick.”

It’s prompting all sorts of panicked responses. Using credit cards to clear windshields. Stabbing ineffectually at awnings with rakes.

But Central Saanich’s Marko Kardum’s ingenuity deserves special mention. As the unfathomable white curtain enveloped his neighbourhood, he set himself the honourable goal of clearing his aunt’s driveway. To accomplish the task, he used the resources at hand, which happened to include a Zamboni he keeps on his farm.

A Zamboni isn’t standard equipment on most farms, but Kardum deserves extra marks for far-sightedness.

Plus, as he notes elsewhere in this paper: “It was $300, how could I not buy it?”

The jury is still out on whether it’s the right tool for the job. The police school of thought is that it just compresses the bottom layer of snow and makes things worse. But Kardum dissents. “It works like a champ.” Let the argument rage until the truth prevails. Other issues to do with liability and licensing the iconic machine brought the experiment to a close.

The police department deserves credit for recognizing “he was just trying to make a difference.”

And also for recognizing the newsworthiness of this story, which has rocketed across the country since the first sketchy report of “Man with Zamboni, reported to be clearing snow on side roads.”