November 2013 - Fivestar Landscaping

5 Star Landscaping Snow Removal Services

Just because gardening season is over doesn’t mean it’s time to put your 5 Star Landscaping fridge magnet away in a kitchen drawer. Did you know that during the winter, 5 Star puts the lawnmowers and pruners away and brings out the snow and ice removal equipment? Did you also know that in the City of Calgary, it’s the law that snow must be cleared from public sidewalks adjacent to your property within 24 hours of it falling? Shoveling snow is like working out at the gym, and it can be very dangerous for people with heart conditions. There are volunteer programs in Calgary to help people who can’t shovel snow themselves to keep their sidewalks and driveways clear. For the rest of us it’s either grin and bear it and do it ourselves (sometimes again and again as the drifting snow covers our nice, clean driveways and sidewalks), or hire professionals like the snow removal specialists at 5 Star Landscaping. You might think it odd to contact a landscaping company for snow removal services, but as the seasons change so does the focus of 5 Star Landscaping. Now that Calgary lawns and landscaping are slipping into their winter slumber, our thoughts turn to snow and ice removal. Along with keeping snow cleared from public sidewalks around your property, 5 Star Landscaping can keep your driveway clean and safe. We also have specialized equipment for clearing parking lots and private roads. No snow removal job is too small or too daunting for 5 Star Landscaping. In fact, we look forward to bringing out our snow removal machinery and putting it to work. If you have a commercial parking lot or private road that needs to be cleaned, give us a call. If you have a single car driveway, give us a call. If you’re just sick and tired of shoveling snow, give us a call. We’d be happy to tell you more about our reasonable rates and the snow clearing services that we provide.

The Dangers of Shoveling Snow

There are a lot of dangerous winter activities – skiing, snowmobiling, ice climbing to name just a few. Did you know that shoveling snow is one of the most dangerous things that people typically do during the winter?

After a heavy snowfall, emergency room physicians usually notice an increase in the number of people arriving at the hospital for heart related problems. In fact, a recent study by Queen’s University shows that 7% of the people who arrived at the hospital with heart related problems over the past two winters had been shoveling snow.

People with the three main risk factors for heart attacks – male, family history of premature coronary heart disease, and smoking have to be particularly careful when they shovel snow. However, even for healthy people, the combination of heavy physical labour and cold temperatures can prove to be too much for their heart.

In cold air, blood vessels tighten up and the body has to work harder to keep its temperature up and blood flowing to hard working muscles. A spike in heart rate and blood pressure during snow shoveling can cause plaque to break loose and travel to the heart, causing a heart attack.

Aside from the threat of heart attack, snow shovelling also often results in less serious medical problems like simple muscle pulls or back pain, or even asthma attacks.

One of the reasons shovelling snow can be so dangerous is people don’t realize how strenuous it actually is – it’s just like hitting the gym.

If you’ve ever had a heart attack, stroke, or heart surgery, the Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends that you have someone shovel your snow for you.

Now that winter is upon us, 5 Star Landscaping offers a full range of snow removal services using state of the art equipment including:

Sidewalk and driveway clearing
Plowing parking lots and private roads
Salting and sanding

If you’re at all concerned about the dangers of shoveling snow or you just can’t face another winter of shoveling Calgary snow, contact Five Star Landscaping for more information about the snow removal services that they provide.