The patrolling officers verbally warned Hickey not to drive his equipment on the road, even if he was removing snow that fell the night before from neighbours' driveways.
Hickey indicated he would comply, the city memo said.
But that wouldn't be the last exchange between Corner Brook enforcement officers and Hickey.
Later that day, officers noticed a roaming dog on Central Street and approached Hickey again.
Hickey confirmed the canine was his. The dog accidentally got out of the house, he said. Hickey was still operating the snowblower at the time, the press release indicated.
After returning to Corner Brook City Hall, officers determined Hickey's pet was unlicensed.
The city did fine Hickey for having an unlicensed and roaming animal, but issued a "warning-only" ticket for illegally driving the snowblower, since officials considered it a less serious violation.
Hickey told Canada AM on Thursday he minds the traffic when riding his snowblower and he's received no complaints from the public.
"I thought it would be nice to help them out but the city didn't see it that way," Hickey he said on the line from Corner Brook.
The city insists Hickey can still clear the driveways along the street as long as he pushes, pulls, tows or carries the heavy-duty piece of equipment across the road.
But Hickey said a kill switch prevents him from walking the blower across.
"It's kind of like a safety device, you've got to be sitting on it or else it won't run," he said.
Hickey said the warning won't keep him from driving his snowblower from house-to-house in the event of another snowfall.
"I did yesterday," he said.
He said he plows about 10 driveways in the morning and in the evening after a major snowfall.
"My driveway is pretty small, so I didn't buy it just for my driveway. I'd be pretty lazy otherwise," Hickey said.
Hickey said he has received an "amazing" amount of encouragement from the wider community.
"People are phoning, people are coming by my house, driving by, saying 'Keep up the good work.'"
