CELPIP Listening Part 4 Practice Test: Saskatoon's Snow-Clearing Neighbour

NARRATOR: Residents of one Saskatoon block have barely touched a shovel in fifteen years, and they have a local hardware store owner to thank. Every winter morning after a snowfall, sixty-three-year-old Walter Kowalski rises before dawn and clears not only the sidewalk in front of his shop, but every sidewalk on the block, including the walkways of several elderly residents across the street. The routine began in 2011, when a regular customer slipped on an icy patch outside a neighbouring bakery and fractured her wrist. Kowalski, who felt partly responsible, purchased a second-hand snowblower the following week. He refuses payment, although grateful neighbours frequently leave homemade perogies and fresh coffee on his counter. During a record-breaking storm last January, he worked for nearly five hours straight. City councillor Dana Whitford says Kowalski's efforts represent the kind of community spirit that no municipal budget could ever purchase, and she has nominated him for the city's annual volunteer award. Kowalski, however, shrugs off the attention. He insists the snowblower does the difficult work, and jokes that it's considerably cheaper than a gym membership. His only real concern is retirement: his daughter, who takes over the store next year, has never operated the machine.