Cleanup underway after record-breaking first snowfall in Ottawa

It was the snowiest Nov. 9 in history and city crews have been out cleaning up. CTV’s Austin Lee reports.

The cleanup continues across Ottawa after a record-breaking first snowfall of the season.

Environment Canada says 11.7 cm of snow was recorded at the Ottawa Airport on Sunday. The 11.7 cm of snow set a record for the greatest snowfall on Nov. 9 in Ottawa, surpassing the previous record of 10.2 cm set in 1897.

School buses, OC Transpo buses and the O-Train continue to run, but officials warn there may be some slow on the roads.

City of Ottawa officials say the plowing of roads and sidewalks has been going well.

“We were ready. Once the storm started and we put our resources out, we just keep moving – we keep rolling the trucks on the roads and sidewalks,” Bryden Denyes, Ottawa’s area manager of roads, told Newstalk 580 CFRA’s Ottawa at Work with Patricia Boal.

“It was heavy for a couple of hours. It did allow for some snow accumulation to happen on the roads, even though we were working through.”

Denyes said when the snow is accumulating fast, “it doesn’t matter how many pieces of equipment you have.”

The focus on Monday will shift to residential streets.

“Right now, we’re doing out final touches and cleanups on our priority roadways and working through our sidewalks,” Denyes said.

“We will be getting into, very soon, residential streets to get out some materials, whether we’re salting or gritting on those streets to open up the centres and make them a little bit more driveable.”

• Eastern Ontario OPP responds to over 120 collisions amid season’s first snowfall

The snow began falling at approximately 11 a.m. on Sunday, with five centimetres of snow by 5 p.m. and another six centimetres of snow during the evening.

Ontario Provincial Police responded to over 120 collisions on highways across eastern Ontario on Sunday afternoon. Ottawa OPP responded to 19 collisions on Highway 416 and Highway 417, with no serious injuries reported.

Denyes said the milder temperatures in the forecast will help crews cleanup this week.

“Any pack on that we have, clean the sidewalks - it’s not all going to melt, but with this type of weather now we have to be aware of what could happen at night when it does drop below freezing,” Denyes said.

Improvements to winter maintenance

Alain Gonthier, general manager of Public Works, said in a memo Monday afternoon that a comprehensive review of the city’s winter maintenance quality standards is now complete and has resulted in several improvements to snow-clearing activities.

Council called for a review after the winter of 2018-19, which saw higher-than-average snowfall amounts, freezing rain hours and freeze thaw cycles.

“Since receiving Council direction in 2019, the Public Works Department has implemented several service enhancements and operational improvements,” Gonthier wrote.

Approximately 250 of the 540 winter maintenance resources are now clearing the city’s 2,500 km of sidewalks and pathways, he said, including a 24/7 deployment for sidewalk and pathway clearing, resulting in less snowpack and ice build-up both during and after winter events – specifically within residential areas and school zones.

The city is also adding additional stairways and pathways for winter maintenance and has been piloting and expanding the installation of salt controllers on sidewalk machines to precisely manage salt application.

When it comes to roads, Gonthier says staff have adopted a more proactive approach during smaller snowfall events and ahead of temperature drops. Supervisors have been empowered to make localized deployment decisions instead of following a uniform city-wide response and starting points for residential plows routes are being alternated to make service delivery more equitable.

School buses

School buses are running in Ottawa today, but there may be some delays.

The Ottawa Student Transportation Authority said a weather assessment was conducted Monday morning, and it was determined buses will be running.

“Please be advised that school bus/van transportation will be running today for the English Catholic and Public Schools and the French Catholic and Public Schools, operating within the City of Ottawa,” the authority said on its website.

“However, there may be delays.”

Ottawa Airport

Travellers are advised to check their flight status before heading to the Ottawa Airport on Monday, but most flights are departing on schedule.

As of 6 a.m., there was only one cancellation and one delay on the departures board Monday morning.

The United Airlines flight from Ottawa to Newark has been cancelled.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Ted Raymond