City_of_Timmins-logoCity departments, Mayor and Council have been receiving a number of concerns in regards to snow removal, and again, we are asking for residents’ patience and support as our Public Works’ crews are working extra hours to try and address the volume of snow we have received in the month of January.

Preliminary snowfall statistics show the total snow accumulation for January 2016 to be the highest on record since 2005, at approximately 55.5cm. While the City issues weekly snow removal schedules, plans have and will continue to be altered, as snow removal crews are often re-deployed to support plowing activity when dealing with winter storm conditions.

“We are focusing as many resources as possible towards snow removal activities and wish to report on actions Public Works is taking over the next couple of weeks to make progress and to improve travel on our streets,” said Director of Public Works and Engineering Luc Duval.

  • For the first time in the past several decades, the City was able to deploy all three snow blowers during our day shift schedule. To build three complete snow removal teams, employees normally working on sidewalk maintenance were re-assigned to the snow removal crews, as the risks are certainly greater on the roads than on the sidewalks.
  • Snow removal activities in the Timmins BIA area were scheduled over and above the normally scheduled snow removal graveyard shift, providing safer access to parking meters and sidewalks in the downtown core.
  • Public Works continues to review and realign snow removal operations to compete with snowfall events. Updated snow removal schedules and notices of disruption continue to be posted to www.timmins.ca and the City of Timmins Facebook page. We remind residents that plans or parts of the plans may be changed at any time and/or delayed if a winter storm is in effect or mechanical issues are encountered.
  • Areas receiving snow removal priority on day shift and night shift are based on traffic and pedestrian volume. Night shift is prioritized as BIA first, Algonquin and the rest of the connecting link second. The main busy streets are third, followed by all first blocks off Algonquin and Riverside, and the Fogg Hill area so as not to disrupt daytime traffic when travelling to and from the snow dumps. Day shift is prioritized by one-way streets first, areas that allow overnight parking second, followed by all other streets based on snow storage capacities. The daily patrols performed by the Road Supervisors prioritize the areas to receive snow removal and daily meetings are scheduled to reset the city-wide snow removal schedules.

“Given the amount of snow we have received over a period of just over 30 days, I think we can appreciate what the crews are dealing with,” said Mayor Steven Black. “I have to give our guys full credit as they have put in extra shifts to try and help us accommodate all the areas requiring snow removal and I know some people are frustrated their area still needs to be done but please keep in mind there has been more snow within a short window than any of the previous 10 years.”