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Student Resource
Seasons in the City
Edmonton snow
angel gets his wings
Clearing neighbours’ walks keeps 92-yearold
Good Samaritan active
By Chris Zdeb November 12, 2012
EDMONTON - Andrew Nykilchuk is a bona fide
Snow Angel. After every snowfall he goes out and
clears his neighbours’ sidewalks, including the ones
leading to their front doors. He received his “angel’s
wings” — a lapel pin of a snowman with a halo and
wings holding a shovel — six years ago when several
of the neighbours nominated him for recognition by
the City of Edmonton’s Snow Angel program.
The program encourages people to voluntarily
shovel snow for seniors and persons with disabilities
in their neighbourhoods. Earlier this year he received
a framed certificate from the city recognizing him
for “Being A Good Neighbour.”
What makes Nykilchuk different from other snow
angels is that he is 92 years old. The people whose
walks he shovels are all younger than he is. “I keep
telling him he makes us look bad because he’s a
senior and we’re the ones that are supposed to be
doing this for him,” says a laughing Jessica Houle,
one of the neighbours who nominated him.
What do City of Edmonton
bylaws say about snow
removal
Snow and ice on sidewalks are dangerous for
everyone, especially seniors and people with
disabilities. The Community Standards Bylaw
requires property and business owners to
clear every public walk around their property,
including sanding the icy spots. When everyone
does this, sidewalks are clear and safe.
the satisfaction of aiding others…. Or it could be
because he’s “greedy,” he says, explaining that trying
to keep the sidewalks cleared down to the pavement
gets him outdoors in the fresh air and keeps him
active during winter….
The day after last week’s snowstorm, Nykilchuk
was out as usual, clearing the walks for all 17
neighbours who live on the crescent…His posture
his straight, his mind clear, and his health good,
although he calls himself “bionic” because of two
hip replacements he had 10 years ago.
“He tries to get out there first thing in the morning
before we have a chance to get to it, or, if he knows
that we run out the door in the morning and we
don’t necessarily have time to do it right away, he’ll
get it done during the day before we get back from
work.”
Sitting in his warm and cosy living room in a
chair that faces the Duggan keyhole crescent
where he lives, Nykilchuk explains he does it for
Andrew Nykilchuk, 92-years-old, has won good neighbor awards for keeping
the sidewalks on his street clear of snow.
Photograph by Larry Wong, Edmonton Journal
Excerpted with the express permission of the Edmonton Journal, a
division of Postmedia Network Inc.
Make A Better City 93