SNOW BUSINESS
Edmonton snow plow driver Gregory Stapleton isn’t shy about displaying his hockey allegiance as he leaves Calgary’s Emergency Operations Centre on Wednesday to help clean up after a massive October snowstorm crippled the city.
As crews from Edmonton, Red Deer, Medicine Hat and Okotoks made their way across Calgary on Wednesday, city officials praised their neighbours for coming to their aid to help clear the roads after a record-breaking autumn snowfall the day before.
Calgary Emergency Management Agency chief Tom Sampson said the move on the city’s part to call in help from its neighbours was a rarity when it comes to snow clearing.
“We’re now looking at these things and saying, when we have these large events, is there another way to handle it? Can we bring folks in to assist us?” Sampson said. “We know Calgary goes out and does that, so when are the times that we can call assistance in?”
Calgary received close to 40 cm of snow since late Monday, resulting in slushy, snow-covered and icy roads, sidewalks and pathways. October normally sees 10 cm of snowfall throughout the entire month, according to roads director Troy McLeod.
With 32.8 cm falling on Tuesday alone, it was Calgary’s snowiest day since 1981. The storm also set a mark for the most snow Calgary has seen on Oct. 2 in recorded history.
A snow route parking ban went into effect Wednesday at 10 a.m. The ban requires vehicles to be moved off snow routes until the ban is lifted, even if a road has been plowed. Designated snow routes are marked by blue signs with a white snowflake. The fine for violating the ban is $75. However, this falls to $40 if the ticket is paid within 10 days. It costs $50 if the ticket is paid within 30 days.
While bans can last up to 72 hours, McLeod said he expected it to wrap up sooner, thanks to favourable temperatures and the help Calgary received from other cities.
“The intensity of this storm, the way it hit us, it was a very intense, short duration snowfall that occurred just before our rush hour and so that made the large difference,” said Sampson. “We’ll do a post-event analysis of this and say, ‘was this worthwhile, did it work well for us, is it a new operating methodology when we’re hit badly?’ ”
Sampson said the City of Calgary would foot the bill for the outside help, but he couldn’t say how much it would cost. Rather than showing that the city lacks the resources to deal with such a big snowfall, he said it actually demonstrates financial prudence on behalf of the city.
The City of Edmonton said 30 plows and 60 crew members were sent to Calgary. Another 10 pieces of snow removal equipment were brought in from Red Deer, Okotoks and Medicine Hat, bolstering the city’s 59 sanders and 22 graders clearing major roadways after the storm.
Calgary police recorded 189 collisions between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, including 16 involving injuries.
One person was taken to hospital in life-threatening condition following a collision on Stoney Trail near 88th Street S.E. just after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Officials said meltwater could freeze overnight and cautioned pedestrians, cyclists and drivers to be careful Wednesday night and Thursday morning.