A Hochelaga-Maisonneuve man is upset that one of the city's snow clearing crews removed more than just the snow from in front of his home.
Rais Zaidi is a food activist who built planters to grow vegetables. Whatever grew was free for the taking. Neighbours loved it and the borough encouraged it.
But on Thursday, a careless snow-clearing crew demolished the planters.
"They didn't just like nick it, they completely destroyed it," said Zaidi.
He heard the plow going down the street but didn't think anything of it at the time, "then somebody knocked at the door a little bit later. I came out to look and then I saw this here all in pieces."
Zaidi built the planters to be in line with his front steps and out of the way, but evidently they were not out of the plow's way.
"There's plenty of room here. He had to make two runs. So, he obviously made one run into the planter, backed up and then made a second run," said Zaidi.
Zaidi took to Facebook and the city's website to file a complaint with the borough's mayor.
"I think there's a communication problem. The people who encourage us to plant stuff don't talk to the snow crews who come and destroy everything that we plant," he said.
For Zaidi the planters provided more than fresh food. They helped provide a sense of community.
"People use it. People come by, they sit down for a sec in the summer and there are no benches, no public benches, anywhere around here. This was the only spot where people could sit for a second and some people did," said Zaidi.
He received word Friday that the borough would pay to replace what was destroyed, but says the underlying issue of property destroyed by snow removal crews wasn't broached. He still plans to approach the borough in order to find a solution.
