The County is covered in the white stuff from tip to toe. (Karen Valihora/Gazette Staff)
The massive winter storm of last Sunday 25 January had pretty much all of Eastern Ontario, from Toronto to Ottawa, digging out cars and driveways from under, in some cases, 50 or 60 centimetres of the white stuff on Monday afternoon.
But old man winter had a few special treats in store for Prince Edward.
Steady bands of lake effect snow blizzarded the County on both Tuesday and Wednesday last week, creating havoc on the roads. Pretty much everything was cancelled, starting with the school buses and ending with various Shire Hall Council meetings.
Prince Edward OPP responded to 9 motor vehicle crash calls on County roads.
By Wednesday night, residents on the eastern portion of the island could boast about 50 centimetres of the fluffy stuff. Accumulations on the western side were even higher.
On Thursday, the plows were still out cleaning up concession roads and mitigating those areas where blowing and drifting snow were still creating driving hazards.
County Operations Manager Troy Gilmour told the Gazette that snow removal operations went around the clock from Sunday to Thursday last week to keep roads safe.
Snowplow operations on Level 1 routes (high volume County Roads) began Sunday at 3 p.m. Nine tandem trucks were deployed nearly every hour through to early Thursday morning in two shifts.
Meanwhile, on Level 2 Routes, operations began Monday at 4 a.m. with 13 tandem trucks, three single-axle trucks, two two-ton trucks, and four sidewalk plows. Operations continued for 13 hours a day from Monday through Wednesday.
In addition, snow removal contractors have worked evenings and overnight (7 p.m. to 6 a.m.) since last Thursday to assist with the snow banks.
The municipality declared a Significant Weather Event on Tuesday. It is a way for the municipality to indicate that conditions are severe enough that normal service standards cannot reasonably be met.
“A Significant Weather Event reduces liability while crews are responding under extreme conditions and County staff are making a reasonable effort to manage the situation,” Mr. Gilmour explained. “County staff can prioritize the most critical routes and service them rather than attempting to address everything at once.”
Mayor Steve Ferguson lauded the efforts of the plow drivers and operations crews that battled the snow last week.
“I want to personally thank all staff who assisted with snow removal over the past few days. Your hard work, teamwork, and dedication during challenging conditions made a real difference and are truly appreciated,” he said. “I also want to thank the public for their patience and understanding as crews worked to keep Prince Edward County roads and sidewalks safe.”
Under the bright sun and clear skies that finally arrived on Thursday, motorists might have noticed a gritty, sandy substance on roadways. A province-wide shortage of road salt means municipalities must ration the supply.
“Because of the current salt shortage, our operations team is using more sand and less salt,” said County spokesperson Mark Kerr. “Staff are in contact daily with a variety of suppliers to see about getting salt deliveries for the next day.”
While snow has been plentiful since the holidays, school days have not. Since January 5, Prince Edward County students have missed 10 of 19 school days due to bus cancellations. By Thursday last week, PECI’s high school exam schedule had been reworked so many times that the final exam of the term had to be cancelled; there was no time left to sit it before the start of Term II in February. Students will receive an assessed grade based on previous course performance instead.
In a letter to parents, HPDESB Director of Education Katherine MacIver acknowledged the havoc weather-related transportation disruptions and school closures wreck on daily routines, particularly for parents of younger children.
The Director noted schedules for final culminating activities were affected differently across the school board, but no secondary school was hit harder than PECI.
With limited road salt and continuing arctic temperatures, many County roads, including some Level 1 routes, are hard-packed with snow. Without a thaw, they will likely remain this way for some time. On Friday, the OPP issued a warning to local motorists. “Officers patrolling local roads are reporting unusually slippery road conditions, and are currently responding to incidents involving drivers losing control,” said Constable Alex Lebel.
Hazardous patches of roadway can be difficult to see and may appear suddenly.
The OPP is reminding drivers to adjust their driving behavior to keep themselves and others safe. Motorists are urged to:
—Reduce speed to account for limited traction
—Increase following distance to allow for safe stopping
—Avoid sudden braking or sharp steering, which can lead to skidding
Drivers are encouraged to remain alert, plan ahead, and allow extra travel time before heading out.
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