Barrie works to dig out as heavy snow overwhelms crews and budgets

City crews and residents in Barrie are still working to catch up on the heavy snowfall from recent days.

Brian Goodreid was among the many residents braving the cold on Monday. “It’s frozen, so you have to break the ice up to get it out of the opening of your driveway. So it’s quite a bit of work,” says Goodreid.

Priority roads and clearing procedures

The City of Barrie manages roughly 1,600 kilometres of roads and prioritizes clearing based on traffic levels. Busy routes such as Dunlop and Bayfield streets, as well as other high-volume roads—often those that serve bus lines—are cleared first.

These priority routes are salted and can typically be cleared within about six hours, according to the city.

Residential and side streets come next and may take up to 24 hours to clear. These areas are maintained to a different standard and usually receive sand instead of salt.

• Hourly and 7-day forecast on our CTVNewsBarrie.ca weather hub

“Residentials are maintained to a snow-packed surface, so you are not going to see asphalt unless it really warms up. You will see some sand going down on it for traction,” says Dave Friary with the City of Barrie.

He adds that crews aim to clear side streets overnight, though conditions can become messy when temperatures rise. Sidewalks present another challenge, with the city saying it is responsible for maintaining approximately 600 kilometres of them.

“They are really hard to walk because, you know, I’m a senior citizen; it’s hard for people to walk through. I fell, I slipped, but I was lucky I never got hurt,” says Linda Wilkinson, a Barrie resident.

Concerns from property owners

Many property owners continue to express frustration over the piles of snow left at the end of driveways after plows pass through. “It’s like a job to me now; you see, I’m sweating. It’s a lot of work. Yes, it’s a lot of work,” says Barrie resident Mukalazi Muhammad.

Friary notes the city has explored potential solutions for removing these windrows but says the cost remains a major barrier. “We’re probably looking at about 13 million dollars just to provide that service,” Friary says.

That figure comes as the city’s snow removal budget has already exceeded its limit by roughly three million dollars this year, now sitting closer to nine million. Friary says his department will present updated numbers to council this week.

Residents should also be aware that the city will continue clearing snowbanks along Dunlop Street on Monday night for the second consecutive day. Officials note that vehicles must be kept off city streets between midnight and 7 a.m. until the end of March.