Snow removal company finds cash-strapped teens work shovelling out neighbours
A business in Beaumont is pairing teenagers looking for work with homeowners who need help shovelling their driveway.
“We wanted to create an opportunity for them not only to make money, but to also learn hard work ethic and what it’s like to have a job,” Shlebey Mounsef, the co-owner of Frost Bite Snow Removal, said.
Frost Bite Snow Removal only hires teens, as Mounsef said the focus is to help them learn what it’s like to be dedicated to something outside of school and also to help them tuck away some money for their future.
There are 20 to 30 shovellers on the roster this season and they cover a lot of ground throughout the winter months.
“We tend to match the houses to the shoveller based on area so that they don’t have to travel too far,” Mounsef told CTV News Edmonton.
Helping the snowed-in homeowners clear their driveways and pathways can be a tough job.
“It depends on the temperature,” Cash Olstad, a 13-year-old shoveller, said. “If it’s warm out, then it’s easier. If it’s -25, then it’s a lot harder.”
“We know it’s cold out. Nobody wants to shovel their snow, but that’s part of having a job,” Mounsef explained. “Not a lot of people want to go to work in the mornings, but that’s just part of growing up and I think this is a great way for the kids to learn that while also getting to save money at a young age.”
In November, Olstad was named “Shoveller of the Month.” The reward? A $200 bonus for shovelling the most homes.
“It felt really good to know that I was the one who was working the hardest out of everyone else,” he said.
“I wanted the money and I wanted to help out as many people as I can.”
Shoveller of the Month, Cash Olstad. (Source: Frost Bite Snow Removal Facebook)
Mounsef told CTV News the business's yearly scholarship of $1,000 encourages a lot of teens to return every year.
“I’m really excited to see how far they’ll go,” she added.
For more information on how to get involved or to have your home cleared, click here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.