Rent reduced for riders, early budget items approved by Regina Council
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Regina's city council covered a lot of ground in a three-hour meeting on Wednesday. With all members in attendance, coun...
Saskatoon’s top administrator says the city is taking unprecedented action to dig out from the blizzard that has left entire neighbourhoods snowed in.
“This is not a typical storm, and not a typical storm clean up operation,” said City Manager Jeff Jorgenson on Thursday.
The storm dumped 30 to 40 centimetres of snow last weekend, closing schools and making roads nearly impassable.
Under normal winter snowfall circumstances, the city’s snow clearing service does not extend to residential neighbourhoods, but the city indicated Tuesday it would make an exception this year. Snow clearing began in Kensington and Stonebridge on Wednesday. On Thursday crews started moving through Evergreen, Brighton, Hampton Village, Rosewood, and Montgomery neighbourhoods.
Jorgenson said the target is to have all neighbourhoods cleared within nine days.
“We’re going to try and prioritize based on the hardest hit with snow volumes. The streets that are most impassible and also the streets that provide the most benefit and impact to citizens,” said Jorgenson.
“Our first pass through the grid network … is to do every second east-west street, every second north-south street. That gets everyone close to a cleared plowed road.”
The city now has 450 workers and 150 pieces of equipment running 24/7 in 12-hour shifts
The city said more resources are being added this week and is asking private contractors to contact city hall if they have equipment available.
“I don’t think the city has ever undertaken what we are proposing, which is a clearing and removal of the snow from the residential streets. The type of service we’re talking about is unprecedented.”
Snow piles a hazard
Jorgenson said the snow being piled up along roads poses a safety risk for children.
“Using those piles as forts, digging in and making tunnels. Of course, that is a very dangerous situation. Most notably a collapse of a significant pile of snow can cause serious injury or death.”
He’s asking the public to be vigilant until the city can remove the piles. That work is expected to begin Friday in school zones.