Rosemont man takes do-it-yourself approach to clearing ice off his street

A Rosemont man has taken a do-it-yourself approach to the ice on the street in front of his house, clearing blocked storm sewer ahead of a thaw so the water can drain before it freezes again.

Montrealer Brian Hirst pointed out two drains for a Global News reporter Monday morning.

One was a manhole-styled one, the other built into a sidewalk. Both had been cleared of ice.

“If we let this gutter fill with ice year after year, we’re going to have the same hazards for pedestrians as long as that proceeds,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "If we let this gutter fill with ice year after year, we're going to have the same hazards for pedestrians as long as that proceeds," he said.

He’s been clearing the drains himself in an effort to keep ice off the sidewalks. But the results are mixed — the walkway in front of the drain near his residence was clear, the one across the street wasn’t.

Philippe Sabourin, a spokesperson for the city of Montreal, said there’s no rule against clearing storm drains of ice. In fact, the city appreciates the initiative.

About 1,000 city blue-collar workers tried to drain the 12 centimetres of rain that came down Sunday.

“The extreme conditions yesterday were considered almost a threat to the city of Montreal,” Sabourin said Monday.

The city even employs Hirst’s idea in places as well — Global News witnessed city work crews clearing drains near the Papineau Metro Station Monday morning.