When he climbed on his Zamboni after a snowstorm Monday night and headed down the road to his aunt's house, Marko Kardum says he was just trying to be a good nephew.

Central Saanich on Vancouver Island is among a number of communities in British Columbia that have been shovelling out from winter storms over the last few days, including cities and towns in the Vancouver and Victoria areas that are unaccustomed to heavy snowfalls.

So after a storm swept across the Victoria area on Monday, Kardum decided to use his second-hand Zamboni to clear the road for his aunt, who lives near his farm.

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Kardum said Tuesday he bought the machine to move horse manure, but found it's quite good for removing snow, too.

"It worked really well, actually. I was surprised," he said.

The Good Samaritan said he was clearing the last patch when a police officer approached, saying they had received a call about someone trying to create a skating rink on the road.

"But really, I was trying to clear the road," Kardum explained. "I was just doing it to clear the road for my aunt. That was it."

The officer, he said, was entertained by the sight of the machine normally used on hockey rinks and asked him to go home because the vehicle doesn't have the insurance required to be operated on public roads.

Victoria and Vancouver are among cities that have been trying to cope with larger snowfalls than normal, snarling traffic and causing delays on public transit.

Abbotsford has received nearly 50 centimetres of snow since the beginning of the month and police in the city near Vancouver credit the snowfall with helping them catch thieves.

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Separate tweets posted Tuesday by Abbotsford police recount how officers nabbed two suspects in separate cases after they got stuck while trying to escape.

"Break-and-enter suspect asks for push as getaway vehicle is stuck. He asked the B&E victim who calls police," said one tweet.

In southeastern British Columbia, travellers who were stranded by snow over the weekend were kept warm and fed at recreation centres, fire halls and even people's homes.

Mayors in the region said truck drivers and others were affected when storms closed Highway 3 on both sides of Sparwood, near the Alberta boundary.

Participants from several hockey and curling tournaments were also stranded.

Sparwood Mayor Cal McDougall said the community's recreation centre and fire hall became impromptu warming stations and cafeterias for hungry travellers.

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Elkford Mayor Dean McKerracher said residents from his district took the stranded into their own homes until roads reopened.

Traffic was moving again on Highway 3 through Sparwood but Drive BC reported avalanche control on sections of Highways 1, 3 and 93.

It advised travellers to check conditions before setting out.

Environment Canada has lifted snowfall warnings for southern B.C., but replaced them with winter storm watches for the southwest coast with more snow forecast Wednesday, followed by freezing rain and heavy downpours later in the week.