Huntington Hills resident Kathy Sokolan-Oblak wants her daughters to grow up with the value of helping others instilled in them.
Sokolan-Oblak and her family were honoured Thursday as the City of Calgary celebrated the 15th anniversary of their Snow Angels program.
Calgary was the first city in North America to adopt the community sidewalk snow-clearing campaign that encourages neighbours to nominate those who contribute in their community by shovelling the sidewalks of others.
Neighbours Peter and Mary Esposito nominated Sokolan-Oblak and her family for helping with the family’s sidewalk clearing for more than two decades.
“It’s the simple family values of helping others handed down from generations that we’ve instilled in our own daughters from a young age,” she said.
“Now our newest neighbour on the block helps shovel our driveway on weekends so we get to sleep in a bit, and we’re grateful for that.”
More than 8,200 Snow Angels have been nominated in the past 15 years.
“Calgary is a place where community members care about each other,” said Mayor Naheed Nenshi.
“Helping your neighbour keep their walks clear is not only important so sidewalks are passable, it’s important because it’s part of how we look out for one another.”
Calgary’s snow bylaws require property owners to remove snow and ice from public sidewalks bordering their property within 24 hours from the end of a snowfall.
You can find out more about nominating a Snow Angel by visiting calgary.ca/snowangels
