A group of volunteers are working to help Vancouver residents and businesses not fall afoul of city bylaws and get around safely, by shovelling sidewalks.
Vancouver residents have until 10 a.m. to clear sidewalks outside their homes, but that can prove hard for the elderly and those with mobility issues.
Enter the Snow Angels program.
"Lots of people just don’t seem to bother and don't understand that it's such a risk for the elderly or people with mobility challenges," said DJ Lawrence, one of Snow Angels' 50 volunteers.
The program matches volunteers to help those who need help clearing snow from their property.
The city says it's received 177 requests for help shovelling from residents since the snow started falling Sunday.
"We’re really looking for volunteers in the southeast part of the city," said Darcy Wilson, the director of client services. "That's probably where we're getting our most requests and have the least amount of volunteers."
The demand for shovel help has extended to Coquitlam, which has 10 volunteers in its Snow Angel program.
Makenna Adrain and her three family members are all offering their time.
"They should sign up to help somebody in their community," she told CTV Vancouver. "It's really awesome."
People interested in joining the Snow Angels can contact their respective city to offer their services.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Maria Weisgarber
