Peter Kirk clearing the snow in Sudbury

A PUBLIC-spirited man, who is used to shovelling his way out of snow drifts in Canada, has been putting his expertise to good use in Suffolk during the recent cold snap.

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Pete Kirk, 57, who was born in the UK but has been living in Alberta since 1981, is in Sudbury visiting his father Edward, a resident of Woodhall Road.

Instead of panicking when the snow started falling last weekend, Mr Kirk sprung into action with his shovel, clearing pathways in the town.

He said: “Initially, I cleared dad’s driveway and then I went to buy a better shovel. On my way back, I noticed that the deep snow around St Peter’s Church had started to melt underneath and I realised from experience that it would turn to ice and could become treacherous.

“So I decided to start clearing some pathways through the snow to make it safe for people to walk. It didn’t take me very long at all because I am so used to dealing with snowy conditions.”

In Canada, it is not uncommon for night-time temperatures to plummet to -35C during the winter months, so the weather in Suffolk has been comparatively warm, according to Mr Kirk, who added: “Every year in Alberta, we are guaranteed snow and often it starts in November and you won’t see the ground again until April.

“It is very dry snow, which gets whipped up very easily and can cause drifts several feet deep. The ice gets so thick on the ponds and rivers that we have to use a chainsaw to cut through it.”

A carpenter by trade, Mr Kirk said he was more than willing to shovel snow for anyone in Sudbury who needed his help.

“I think people could do with being a little more caring towards the older generation, and as clearing snow isn’t a problem for me, I am happy to help anyone who can’t do it for themselves. As long as they are willing to make me a cup of tea, I am happy to clear their snow for them.” he said.

Sudbury Town Council has its own volunteer gritting scheme, which has been so successful that the initiative has been replicated in other parts of Suffolk.

Volunteers who sign up to be on a list of registered gritters are given full instructions and are then covered by the council’s insurance policy for any snow-clearing duties they undertake on the public highway.

Town warden Bradley Smith said: “The scheme is now in its second year and it is working really well. If there is an area where public roads and pathways have not been cleared, then I will go out and deal with it or I can mobilise a team of volunteers to go out and get the job done.

“By keeping a record of volunteers and the areas where the grit bins are situated, we are able to tackle the problem in an organised way.”

The council has grit bins placed at various locations around the town, which are kept topped up thanks to volunteer gritters reporting back to the council. If anyone spots a bin that needs refilling, they can e-mail grit-bin@sudburytowncouncil.co.uk. To be added to the list of volunteer gritters, call the Town Council on 01787 372331.