Shovelling shenanigans; Some Kitchener homeowners frustrated by futility of trying to keep sidewalks snow-free

Residents living on one side of a downtown Kitchener street say the rules around needing to clear your sidewalk of snow have them set up to fail.

The street in question, Ahrens St. W., has a stretch in which the sidewalk on one side is pushed right up to the road, and locals say it's nearly impossible to continually keep it clear.

“I was out there three times shovelling and then I got this sidewalk snow and ice removal notice along with a handy pamphlet with snow shovelling tips,” said Gary Farkas who lives on the street and says by-law officers went door-to-door warning residents to clear their snow or be charged for the city having to do it for them.

City of Kitchener by-laws require property owners to clear the sidewalks around their property of snow and ice within 24 hours of a snowfall. Rules posted on the city's website go on to say “these sidewalks must be maintained to bare pavement on an ongoing basis.”

That's the part which Farkas says leads to lessons in futility after every major snowfall saying, because the sidewalk is right up to the road, every time a plow comes by the sidewalk gets covered again.

“I work hard to clear the sidewalk, so do my neighbours, and the plow comes by — there's really no regard for the sidewalk,” Farkas said. “So the plow goes by, covers up the sidewalk, and I guess it's my responsibility to go out and move that snow.”

On top of the frustration of having your work undone with every plow, Farkas says there's also the liability concern.

“I don't want the liability, the plow goes by and then I'm liable,” he said. “The bylaw officer gave me this ticket, he says I gotta' get the ball rolling because once I give you this ticket the liability falls on you.”

“I've issued the ticket, I've said this is your responsibility, the city doesn't want the liability that's basically what's happening.”

Farkas, meantime, says the warnings have since been withdrawn and the city says it will make an exception moving forward.

“They ended up redacting [the warnings], they decided that they're going to help us out and they're going to come down here and take care of this problem,” Farkas said. “I don't know how they're going to do it, I don't know when they're going to do it… but they said that they're going to do it.”