Snow removal crews continue to work around the clock

City of Barrie and Orillia remain under Significant Weather Event and are working to restore winter maintenance standards.

The City of Orillia removed their snow event status on Friday, but crews continue to work 24/7 on removing snow around the city.

Cheryl Remm, director of facilities, climate change and operations said although the significant weather event has been removed, snow removal continues throughout the city.

“We have to spend a lot of time reducing the height of those snow banks, cutting back banks, clearing snow out of cul-de-sacs, and making sure that sightlines are there,” said Remm. “Especially at intersections and crosswalks and making sure the city is as safe as possible.”

In Orillia, a significant weather event is called when the city is unable to keep up with snow removal due to weather conditions or accumulation of snow.

Orillia has seen almost double the amount of snow it usually sees on a yearly basis.

“In a winter Orillia receives about 280 centimetres of snow and so far, this year we’ve received over 300 centimetres,” said Remm. “And we’re bracing for the same as last year, which was about 485 centimetres.”

The City of Barrie remains under a significant weather event as crews continue to catch up and remove snow.

In a statement, the City of Barrie said, “While progress is being made daily and overnight, some areas of the city still experience narrowed residential streets, blocked or partially blocked sidewalks, cycling lanes, and curb or right-turn lanes.”

According to the city officials, Barrie has removed more that 3,500 truckloads of snow equivalent to 24 Olympic-sized swimming pools and the city has already received more than 200 centimetres of snow. Nearly 80 per cent of the annual average.

The city will remain under a significant weather event until service levels return to normal.

As of Monday, crews continue to focus on neighbourhoods with narrow streets, laneways, sidewalks and areas where snow can not be safely pushed to the side. There is no timetable as to when the weather event will be lifted.