A confrontation between a City of Peterborough snowplow operator and a resident has resulted in an assault charge and is raising concerns about the treatment of municipal workers across Ontario.
In a media release issued Friday, Peterborough police confirmed a man has been charged with assault in connection to an incident with a sidewalk plow operator last week.
Officers were called to the area of Marsh Avenue and Broadway Boulevard around 11 a.m. on Feb. 11 following a report that a resident had opened the door of a city snow clearing machine and twice tried to remove the driver’s hearing protection.
Investigators say they later received video of the incident.
A 56-year-old Peterborough man was arrested and charged with assault. He was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court in May.
However, this interaction is not the first of its kind. Over the past couple months, several similar incidents have been reported within the province.
The union representing the worker issued a statement to Global News saying the incident has left their members unsettled.
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“Our members are definitely very concerned and definitely feel a little bit intimidated by this most recent incident,” CUPE Local 504 said.
“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 and in response, we regularly get screamed at.”
The union says aggressive encounters are not uncommon for public works staff.
“People have thrown shovels in the past at our trucks and also verbally aggressive towards members,” the statement said.
The Association of Ontario Road Supervisors (AORS) told Global News it has raised concerns with provincial officials, citing what it describes as a pattern of harassment, threats and interference involving municipal workers, particularly during winter maintenance operations.
In letters sent to the province, the organization outlined reported incidents including an individual allegedly throwing a large chunk of ice at active municipal equipment, a resident threatening to kill a sidewalk plow operator, and a man climbing onto a snowplow and refusing to get off.
Other examples cited include a voicemail threatening to shoot a plow driver with a shotgun, and an incident in which a resident allegedly jumped in front of an active plow during a major snow event, delaying operations for more than an hour.
“What was once the occasional frustrated complaint… has evolved into a growing safety risk that is disrupting municipal operations,” said Karla Musso-Garcia, president of the AORS.
The organization says these types of encounters can have wider consequences as winter maintenance crews play a critical role during heavy snow periods.
“When winter maintenance operations are delayed due to unsafe conditions created by members of the public, the ripple effect can be significant,” said Kelly Elliott, the group’s interim executive director.
In one of its letters to Ontario Labour Minister David Piccini, the AORS called for stronger legal protections for municipal winter maintenance crews.
The organization said it would like the province to treat interference with snow clearing operations with the same severity it treats obstruction of emergency responders.
It also asked Ontario to consider clearer public safety rules aimed at reducing risks to snowplow crews and those who maintain critical services.
– With files from Global News’ Madeline McColl
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