Don't let bad snow clearing etiquette put the chill on neighbourly relations in Saskatoon

Saskatoon resident Jessie LaPlante doesn’t mind being out shovelling.

“I enjoy being out here in the winter,” LaPlante told CTV News.

Having lived in Saskatchewan all her life, she’s no stranger to the neighbourly courtesies when it comes to residential snow clearing.

“You know, when you're outside and you're doing your yard, you see a strip that needs to be done, why not, you know, go and do it,” she says.

With a good portion of the year in Saskatchewan spent dealing with snow, you would think we would be better at it. But for some, the rules aren’t that clear.

Over the years, LaPlante has encountered some less than neighbourly situations though.

“Absolutely!” she said. But she didn’t get into a fight over it. Like the snow she’s clearing, just chose to brush it off.

Shared driveways are another issue that can cause strife.

According to Matt Grazier, the director of Community Standards with the City of Saskatoon, being a good neighbour goes a long way. He says it’s unwritten that if someone is elderly, can’t shovel because of physical limitations, or is out of town, others on the street pitch in and help.

Having said that, Grazier says they get between 3,000 and 4,000 complaint calls every year about less than neighbourly encounters related to snow clearing, or lack thereof.

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Clearing snow onto roadways is not uncommon either, but residents are reminded that blowing or pushing snow onto roadways is against the city bylaw.

“You know, that certainly makes it difficult for vehicles to be passing through. So, snow should be kept on a person's property or on their lawn or stored wherever they can,” he says.

Each neighbourhood has its own issues when it comes to snow clearing, but it’s in newer areas built after 2000 where the front yards are often very small that there are some of the biggest challenges.

“Lot sizes have gotten quite a bit smaller. In cases like that, I know it does get a bit trickier, but, you know, one thing that you'll often see is that those properties do have very, very large driveways,” he said.

Grazier suggests that residents use the large driveway to store some of the snow if they don’t have a lawn that can handle the volume of snow.

The city reminds residents that snow needs to be cleared from sidewalks within 48 hours, and while fines aren’t common, because he admits it’s difficult to prove, violators could still end up paying for the offence.

“We'll actually hire a contractor, and then that contractor will go out and clear the sidewalks, and then that contractor bill will get added to that property owners tax bill,” Grazier said.

At the end of the day for LaPlante, snow shouldn’t be that complicated or cause chilly relations among neighbours.

“Just be respectful. It's not a hard thing to do,” she says.

And this could be even more crucial according to this resident, especially since winter often extends well beyond just one season here.

“We could be doing this snow shovelling into about April, I would say.”