A recent incident involving a snowplow operator from the City of Peterborough and a local resident has led to an assault charge, stirring worries about how municipal workers are treated throughout Ontario.
In a statement released on Friday, Peterborough police reported that a man has been charged with assault related to an encounter with a sidewalk plow operator last week.
Officers were dispatched to the vicinity of Marsh Avenue and Broadway Boulevard around 11 a. m. on February 11 after receiving reports that a resident had opened the door of the city’s snow removal machine and attempted twice to take away the driver’s hearing protection.
Authorities indicated they later obtained video footage of the event.
A 56-year-old man from Peterborough was arrested and charged with assault. He has since been released on conditions and is expected to appear in court in May.
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This isn’t an isolated case. In recent months, several similar events have been documented across the province.
The union representing these workers issued a statement to expressing that their members feel unsettled by this incident.
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A few other examples shared include voicemails threatening gun violence against plow drivers as well as an event where someone allegedly jumped in front of an active plow during heavy snowfall, causing significant delays for over an hour.
“What was once just occasional complaints… has transformed into escalating safety risks disrupting municipal operations,” noted Karla Musso-Garcia, president of AORS.
This group emphasizes that such encounters can lead to larger issues since winter maintenance teams play vital roles during heavy snowfall periods.
“When winter maintenance operations are delayed due unsafe conditions created by members of the public,” Kelly Elliott explained,”the ripple effect can be significant.”
“In one correspondence addressed to Ontario Labour Minister David Piccini,” the AORS requested stronger legal protections for those working in municipal winter maintenance.
The organization urged lawmakers treat interference with snow clearing tasks as seriously as obstruction faced by emergency responders. It also called upon Ontario leaders to implement clearer safety regulations aimed at minimizing risks for snowplow crews who provide essential services.
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For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. “Our members are definitely very concerned and definitely feel a little bit intimidated by this most recent incident,” CUPE Local 504 said. More on Toronto More videos “The sad reality is that instances of assault, abuse, and harassment are increasing towards city workers. We go to work every day to do our jobs, serving Peterborough, and we do that with pride and responsibility; in response, we regularly get screamed at.” The union notes that aggressive encounters are becoming more common for public works staff. “People have thrown shovels in the past at our trucks and also verbally aggressive towards members,” their statement mentioned. The Association of Ontario Road Supervisors (AORS) informed that it has voiced concerns to provincial officials about what it describes as ongoing harassment, threats, and interference affecting municipal workers-especially during winter maintenance tasks. The organization detailed incidents in letters sent to provincial authorities including one where an individual reportedly hurled a large ice chunk at active municipal equipment, another where someone threatened to kill a sidewalk plow operator, as well as an instance of a man climbing onto a snowplow refusing to disembark. Trending Now
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A few other examples shared include voicemails threatening gun violence against plow drivers as well as an event where someone allegedly jumped in front of an active plow during heavy snowfall, causing significant delays for over an hour.
“What was once just occasional complaints… has transformed into escalating safety risks disrupting municipal operations,” noted Karla Musso-Garcia, president of AORS.
This group emphasizes that such encounters can lead to larger issues since winter maintenance teams play vital roles during heavy snowfall periods.
“When winter maintenance operations are delayed due unsafe conditions created by members of the public,” Kelly Elliott explained,”the ripple effect can be significant.”
“In one correspondence addressed to Ontario Labour Minister David Piccini,” the AORS requested stronger legal protections for those working in municipal winter maintenance.The organization urged lawmakers treat interference with snow clearing tasks as seriously as obstruction faced by emergency responders. It also called upon Ontario leaders to implement clearer safety regulations aimed at minimizing risks for snowplow crews who provide essential services.
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