Barrie runs out of room for snow, turns to landfill for temporary dumping site

Crews with the City of Barrie started hauling snow to the landfill on Ferndale Drive after running out of room to dump snow.

Barrie’s winter clean-up has reached an unusual tipping point.

After weeks of relentless weather warnings and snowfall, the city has officially run out of room to store it. On Thursday night, municipal crews started hauling snow to the landfill on Ferndale Drive North, a move officials say is necessary now that the snow pile at the city’s operations centre has reached full capacity.

The landfill, located at 272 Ferndale Drive North, will temporarily serve as the city’s new snow dumping site as removal operations continue across the Barrie area.

City staff warn that people living nearby may notice increased overnight noise. “Residents near Benson Drive may hear some noise during these overnight activities, but staff will make efforts to reduce noise during this work,” says the city.

Jan. 28 marked one full month since Barrie declared a Significant Weather Event, the longest continuous stretch in city history, according to officials. Since then, crews have been working day and night to clear roads, widen lanes, and manage snowbanks.

Don’t put your feet up yet, more snow is coming says Environment Canada. The wind and snow will stick around until Friday night and potentially carry into Saturday morning.