Ottawa tells good citizen to stop plowing snow

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 a wellused pathway near his home that lead to a church, among other amenities, the Good Samaritan decided to plow it 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 the east-end suburb of 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 clear).” Rochow has sent letters and emails to the city trying to get it to fill his shoes.

Yet the city has chosen to leave the path neglected. Its rationale is that the city would be held liable if someone was injured because they thought the path was safe to use.

As it stands, it’s not, said Kevin Wylie, manager of Ottawa’s roads and traffic operations. The pathway didn’t meet the criteria for winter maintenance as it is within 400 metres of another path, it isn’t paved and an alternative route exists.

Before his cease-and-desist order, it took Rochow more than an hour to get to and plow the walkway, 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.”