Residents of one street in Haysboro rarely forced to lift a snow shovel
For many Calgarians it's the effort of shovelling the sidewalk that takes the sparkle out of the flurries, taking something beautiful and turning it into one more thing to do.
But in one corner of Haysboro the snow has been disappearing before many residents leave their homes.
"I think it was my dad taught me, when you're out shovelling you do yours and your neighbour on each side," says Randy Fern, a retired truck driver who started clearing the sidewalks, walkways and front steps around his home about a dozen years ago.
It started small, after a neighbour had a heart attack.
"Then another neighbour had a stroke and I thought I'd better do his and it just kind of snowballed," Fern says with a laugh.
Along with another neighbour, Fern has a circuit of about 350 metres that he blows clean.
His neighbour Phil usually takes the early morning shift.
Randy says once he's bundled up, it hardly makes sense to stop at his own property.
"The thing is, I don't have that much sidewalk, so by the time you get all dressed up and get out here on a day like today you might as well stay out for a little while," Fern says.
The City of Calgary does recognize snow angels. If you have one in your neighbourhood you can find the steps to give them a special thanks on the city's website.
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