Consideration and Kindness

Living in the Greater Vancouver area, I don’t have many opportunities to experience snow. When it comes, there is often a feeling of excitement, especially among children, and it often melts before it becomes too tiresome. However, the lack of experience with snow in this part of the world also often means an ignorance of the etiquette rules that go along with it, which can be frustrating and even dangerous for others.

These snow etiquette tips apply whether you live in an area where snow is relatively rare or where it arrives in October and stays until March.

• Clear your walkway as soon as possible and within 8 hours of snow falling. If you live on a street with a public sidewalk in front of your house, clear the snow from the sidewalk too. Some cities have by-laws that require homeowners to clear their walkways and the public sidewalks in front of their homes. If your city doesn’t, clear the snow anyway.
• If you use a snowblower, do not blow the snow onto your neighbour’s sidewalk, onto or around cars parked in driveways or on the road, or onto the roadway where it could cause a hazard for drivers. Don’t shovel it onto those areas either.

If you see someone in need of help, offer your assistance and teach your children to do the same.

• Snowy weather can be a major hazard for elderly people who have difficulty walking through the snow or shovelling their walkways. If you have an elderly neighbour, shovel their walkway as well as your own; if you see someone struggling to walk through the snow or on an icy surface, offer your arm in assistance; if someone in a wheelchair is blocked by snow, offer to help push them through. Also check in with elderly neighbours who might not be able to get out in the snow: they may need a ride to a doctor’s appointment or to the grocery store.

• If you have a dog, remember to pick up after them even in the snow. Although, it may be quickly hidden in the snow, at some point, the snow will melt and these “landmines” will be left all over the sidewalks and grassy areas.