Ottawa snowstorm creates new ways to get around the city
Sidewalk skiing? A Senator-assisted push? Big storm means creative commutes for some
Fifty one centimetres of snow can really throw off your usual travel plans, but some Ottawans made the most of it.
Alison Smedley was spotted cross-country skiing along downtown Ottawa sidewalks to get to her afternoon shift at the Ottawa Public Library's main branch on Laurier Avenue.
"I looked outside and I was like, 'This is amazing, there's so much snow on the ground — which is obviously very problematic for a city doing its business — but to me it looked like a great opportunity to get on my skis and go to work," she said.
"It's pretty rare you actually have enough snow stay on the ground that you can get out there and ski and not damage the base of your skis."
Smedley said any other sidewalk skiiers should try using a pair of "rock skis" or backup skis, and make sure they don't care if they get dinged up a bit.
That advice could come in handy for Ottawa Centre MP Catherine McKenna.
Semi-seriously thinking of skiing to Parliament. Semi.
—@cathmckennaBorowiecki boost
We can't single out everyone who has helped push a vehicle spinning its wheels, but not every stuck vehicle gets pushed out by a member of the Ottawa Senators.
Defenceman Mark Borowiecki, an Ottawa native who did not play in Tuesday night's game against Buffalo due to injury, was spotted helping someone stuck on Palladium Drive near the Canadian Tire Centre.
The Senators then posted the photo on one of their Twitter accounts.
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sens?src=hash">#Sens</a> man of the day: Mark Borowiecki, who helped push out several cars stuck in the snow today on Palladium Dr. <a href="https://t.co/PVrqER48fO">pic.twitter.com/PVrqER48fO</a>
—@Media_SensCody Catinus said his sister took the picture and sent it to the team.
The Grade 11 student said he, his mother and sister were coming back from getting groceries when they pulled a U-turn to avoid a jackknifed bus on Palladium Drive and got stuck in a snowbank.
"As I was trying to help her get out of the snowbank he was pulling by in his car and he [asked] "Do you need any help?'" Catinus said Wednesday.
"It was really cool, I recognized him at first but my sister and mom in the car didn't look or pay attention. I told my sister, she's a really big fan of the Senators, and she started to freak out."
Catinus said Borowiecki was "very helpful" and he, along with about eight other people, helped them and another stuck car before he carried on his way.