Blue sky never looked so good!
Snow removal continues Friday, Dec. 12, focusing on the North End, Downtown, and Priority 1 routes.
If you live in these areas, please move parked vehicles off the street to help crews work safely and efficiently (or be prepared to possibly shovel out your car, because we're on a mission).
Priority 1 routes include major roadways, emergency routes, school zones, and transit routes. You can view the full list and map here:
As crews move through the community, some windrows may temporarily remain in driving lanes while work continues. These will be addressed as time and conditions allow.
We’ll continue to share updates as operations progress and appreciate all your patience and cooperation!
As snow is the subject this week, here are some fun facts about our operations:
- We've got 20-25 people working, including both Town staff and contractors.
- Some crews are doing sidewalks at Town-owned facilities, some are doing removal, and some are clearing and windrowing snow.
- We're working longer hours (12-hour days), with staff often taking breaks in their equipment and trucks.
- Night shift starts around 2-3am and ends early afternoon.
- We order about 200 tonnes of salt for winter, which is mixed with a larger volume of sand.
- It's costing about $1,700-2,000 per hour for snow removal right now, excluding the cost of our own equipment being used, but including our staff salaries at public works. This number will come down a bit as we continue to get on top of the snow situation.
- Our equipment includes two graders, one sander, three dump trucks (different sizes), tool cat (trails), two skid steers, two loaders (one snow blower or bucket, one blade), one backhoe, and more.
- Contracted services include one loader and six to 10 trucks, depending on what we can fit and where we're working.
After we're done the North End, we'll likely be moving to Saddleback.
Lastly, if you look at the forecast, the temperature is set to drop sharply into the -30s tonight. This is very hard on our equipment (and personnel), so we'll be continually monitoring the situation, but just a heads up that the low temps could affect our work.
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