'Good Samaritan' neighbour hit with fine for clearing side of road with ATV

Halifax's deputy mayor, Matt Whitman, is criticizing the RCMP officer who fined his neighbour $406 for using an ATV to widen a snow-covered street.

"My opinion at this stage is this guy deserves a warning, let's not punish Good Samaritans," Whitman told CBC Radio's Maritime Noon.

Whitman said his neighbour on Diana Drive in Hammonds Plains uses his ATV equipped with a plow to remove snow the city misses.

Part of the road is a former cul-de-sac that is wider than a typical street. Whitman said his neighbour makes sure the sides of the road are clear so people can park.  

The man also uses the ATV to clear his own driveway and clear a right-of-way in the neighbourhood. 

"Does the city a favour by moving the snow off the cul-de-sac so that neighbours and cars can park there and it's wider for everyone to get through," said Whitman. 

ATV driver had multiple violations

RCMP don't see it that way. A police spokesperson told Maritime Noon an officer fined the man for plowing snow onto a roadway. 

The ATV driver also committed a number of other violations, according to RCMP, but they wouldn't discuss those. Police said the officer used discretion in this case.

But Whitman said while his neighbour may have broken the letter of the law, he was just trying to make life a little easier for people in the neighbourhood.  

"This is just a police officer who saw the situation and wanted to exercise his authority," said Whitman. 

Whitman said he will do what he can to help his neighbour fight the ticket.