Removal of giant snow piles left over from plowing could take weeks: city
After the most recent dumping of snow in Winnipeg, the city is working to dismantle the large mounds of snow that have piled up after the streets were cleared – work that could take several weeks.
While waiting for her bus on Tuesday, Kathy Easton said she can’t help but notice the amount of snow on city boulevards.
“Too much, lots,” said Easton, adding the snow hills are becoming a safety issue.
“I think they should be taken down, because people can’t see and it’s dangerous too."
The city has begun to haul away the snow ridges and hills along major streets and intersections, but the work won’t happen overnight. The city estimates it will take five weeks to finish the hauling operation.
“I would like to see it get done sooner so that we can walk on the sidewalks again,” said Easton.
Michael Cantor, the city’s manager of streets maintenance, said crews are working 24/7 in three areas in the city. Cantor said 36 centimetres of snow has fallen so far in January and the city has to prepare for the possibility of more to come.
“It’s just an estimate internally depending on how long it will take,” said Cantor. “We have a large amount of snow there, we’re going to be hauling and reducing high piles day and night, so it’s just going to take time.”
Like the city, snow removal businesses are also working around the clock.
“It finally feels like a true Winnipeg winter," said Marcel LaFortune, the owner-operator of LaFortune Home. “The last couple years have been very little snow.”
LaFortune said his company is extremely busy.
“I’m out there hours and hours and hours,” he said. “I think in the last seven days I’ve done about 108 hours.”
The city does not yet have cost estimates for the hauling operation.
In an email to CTV News, the city said one of the four snow disposal sites it operates – the Kenaston disposal location - is closed due to being at capacity, but noted the three other sites are open and have plenty of space for snow removal this winter.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.