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
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.