I spent the weekend immersing myself in everything snow-related, gaining firsthand insights into the ways of the West.
It started with a road report at 8:30 a.m. posted to our social media pages. I was noting current weather conditions and the fact I hadn’t seen a snow plow yet. That last line was a catalyst for information sharing I didn’t expect to get.
Breaking it down, I was apparently soft, expecting too much and noting it would be a waste of taxpayer dollars to put out the plows at that point. The irony was, that 10 minutes later, a sander went past the place I was recording from.
As the day moved forward, we received snow amounting to that of a good dumping growing up in the snow belt of Ontario. However, they do the removal markedly different there.
First, salters and sanders would have been out hours before the storm. A demonstration of wasting time and money “preparing the roads” for the event. Then, they would scrape the edges off their blades. This, in a pointless attempt to keep the snow off any piece of the pavement. This would frequently result in unnecessary damage to equipment.
Hell, just yesterday, ahead of 10-15 centimetres of the white stuff, Sault Ste. Marie issued a “significant weather event” warning. Meaning, they aren’t liable for the conditions of any roads or sidewalks until it’s over.
Speed of removal here comes with a plan.
People quickly posted the city’s informative YouTube video on snow removal efforts to social media. To their credit, they almost stuck to the plan.
On Sunday, multiple bobcats and other removal equipment were seen clearing municipal sidewalks throughout the day. Then, first thing Monday morning, the areas around the schools were targeted. These are primary and secondary routes in the community.
The speed of traffic at points was concerning. Just because you have a big pick-up truck with 4-wheel drive and snow tires (maybe) doesn’t mean you are a better driver than most of the rest of us.
The amount of fish-tailing, side skidding and near collisions with parked cars was … interesting … until about 3 p.m. Saturday when most people slowed down. I’d rather write about the observations here than about you, the reader, when you crash into something or someone.
The one thing that seems to have stayed the same from “out east” to hear is the “kindness of the “superstars” of the communities.
People were offering up services at a price to clear snow, which is normal. I even saw posts thanking individuals in different parts of the city for selflessly giving their time and effort to clean sidewalks and driveways, free of charge. That sense of community reminds me of small-town Ontario where it’s not yet all about the mighty dollar.
As you read this, the storm is in the rearview mirror and I’m a little more prepared for the realities of winter here. I may not be a hardened Westerner, yet, but I’m learning every day about the toughness of citizens out here and loving every moment of it..
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