Regina reverses $424 charge for clearing sidewalk for man living with disabilities

The City of Regina has reversed a hefty charge a man received after he was unable to properly remove snow off his sidewalk.

Alan Bodnarchuk, who lives along 13th Avenue, was charged $424 for city contractors to clear a walkway after the volunteers he enlisted for the task failed to a clear a pathway wide enough to meet the standards outlined in a city bylaw.

Shortly after learning of the fine, Bodnarchuk told CTV News he lives with multiple physical disabilities and relies on the help of volunteers to keep his walk clear.

Given Bodnarchuk's circumstances, city manager Niki Anderson says his fine has been cancelled.

“There was one example that showed up on my desk where bylaw officials followed the rules, which is to ticket sidewalks that are not cleared to a certain width, however in one scenario it made no sense,” Anderson told reporters earlier this week.

“So basically it was a resident who had mobility issues, he did exactly what he should have done and called snow angels who shovelled his sidewalks and apparently is wasn’t quite wide enough.”

Anderson said that while the city will continue to encourage residents to clear their sidewalks there are scenarios where that won’t be possible.

“When our employees are faced with a certain situation that does not make any sense and don't show ... empathy, that is problematic," Anderson said.

--With files from CTV News’ Donovan Maess