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Public safety responsibility of all this winter, city says
Improving the safety of the public is behind the City of Cranbrook campaign asking residents and businesses to help keep your streets and sidewalks clear of snow and ice this winter.
“Regularly clearing ice and snow from your sidewalks and driveways will allow much easier access to your property by the fire department, RCMP or paramedics should an accident or other emergencies happen,” says Cranbrook Fire and Emergency Services Chief Wayne Price, adding, “it also will make walking easier for our local mail and newspaper carriers and the public at large.”
Residents are also encouraged to avoid pushing or blowing snow from their sidewalks, driveways and any windrows back into the street, after the city plows have been by.
Public Works Director Joe McGowan says, “it creates issues for our snow removal crews, as the plow will need to make an additional run down your street to clean it up. That additional run increases the city’s costs with additional staff time, fuel and equipment wear and tear, not to mention delays in getting to other areas of the city that also need to be plowed.”
Clearing snow is not just the responsibility of the City Public Works department, which does the best it can with the resources available to keep the community moving during the winter months. Responsibility also lies with each resident and business owner to help clear around their home or business.
“During and following major snowfalls, our snow removal operation runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week and operates with a small fleet of vehicles; four salt/sand trucks with belly plows, two graders and two loaders,” explains McGowan. “With this schedule and the equipment we have, it is reasonable to expect most areas of the city to be cleared within three or four days of a snowfall, depending on the amount of snow and how fast it comes down.”
The City of Cranbrook has a comprehensive Snow and Ice Control policy in place. A copy of that policy is available on the City’s website – https://www.cranbrook.ca/.
City of Cranbrook
