Crater crusader fills 'swimming pool' hole in Winnipeg back lane
After bumpy dealings with the city, a Winnipeg man decided to smooth out the situation on his own.
On Tuesday Mike Touchette dumped a truckload of gravel into the gorge in his back lane.
"I don't know if it's the worst back lane, but it's sure not the best," Touchette said.
He has lived along Frederick Avenue in St. Vital for 19 years and said over the past few years the lane has become terrible.
"I filled in a hole here in my back lane that was a foot deep of stagnant water since last year," he said.
The repair job cost about $200 but Touchette said it was worth it to stop the "mud bogging hole" behind his house.
"My neighbour right next door actually appreciated the fact that I did it because he does use it every day," he said.
The neighbourhood crater crusader has also patched up other holes in the lane. Touchette said he tried to get the city to come out to lay gravel before he did it himself and contacted St. Vital Coun. Brian Mayes last year, as well as this year. He recently made one more call to 3-1-1.
"I asked them if it was illegal for me to have a pool in my back lane and they were sort of stunned," he said, adding they said it was.
"I said, 'Then get the city to bring some gravel because that's how big the hole is, it's actually a swimming pool'. My neighbour wanted to put his kayak in the hole before I filled it."
Although Touchette's neighbours are happy with the transition from lake to lane, the city does not recommend people take the holes into their own hands.
"I don't blame anybody for doing that but I can't condone that," Mayes said, adding that city staff caution against addressing the problem lanes with gravel.
"Do not simply dump gravel or people are going to have problems getting their back yards flooded."
The complaints around gravel lanes are common. In the past three years, the city has received 1,923 requests for service from residents with gravel lanes. A city spokesperson previously told CBC News there are 102 kilometres of gravel lanes in the city and the aim is that each is graded once per year.
The lanes are generally 50 years old and they're in declining condition but Mayes said the policy is only to add gravel to isolated, low-lying spots.
A grader is headed to the area next week and Touchette said it better not impact his recent repairs.
"If you can't fill it, don't touch it," he said.
