Snow-clearing crews prepare for winter season as temperatures dip

Snow could fall any day now and, as CTV’s Karis Mapp reports, crews are ready to keep roads clear in Waterloo Region.

With the threat of snow in the forecast, crews across Waterloo Region are gearing up for winter.

The Region of Waterloo has hired more than 50 drivers to operate 15 plows.

“This year, all of our fleet is 100 per cent ready to go,” David Pressey, Waterloo Region’s manager of transportation operation, said.

The region has also started stocking up on road salt.

“Salt is purchased through a contractor who mines it out of a facility over in Goderich, Ont.,” Pressey explained.

While Pressey’s team is ready to keep regional roads clear, municipalities are responsibility for their own snow clearing efforts.

Preparations began over the summer in Kitchener.

“We do our training through to the fall and this is a combination of classroom as well as behind the wheel work,” Scott Berry, Kitchener’s manager of maintenance, roads and traffic, said.

Berry’s team is also working on snow plow routes while keeping an eye on the forecast.

Parts of southern Ontario, including Waterloo Region, could see their first flakes of the season on Sunday.

“We have our winter shifts already on,” Berry said. “The weather that’s potentially coming over the weekend, we’re more than ready for it.

Even private companies, like S.O.S. Snow Removal are buying in bulk to prepare for winter.

“We have almost 100 tonnes [of salt] bought for this season. It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Farooq Alani, S.O.S. Snow Removal’s owner, said.

Many people working in snow removal still have vivid memories of last year’s snowy winter.

“We saw an increase in snowfall last year, increase in duration, increase in intensity,” Pressey said.

“Our snow loading capacity was pushed to the limits for any response whether it’s plowing or salting,” added Berry.

Once winter is in full force, clearing officials say patience is key and encourage drivers to abide by the rules during a snow event.

“If people can remember to remove their cars off the road, that really just helps up get through the city and complete our job as efficiently as possible,” Berry said.