The first big winter storm of the season put small-town road crews to the test on Monday, and most appeared to have passed.
“Roads were opened up pretty well after the storm,” Conmee Mayor Sheila Maxwell said on Tuesday. “Just finishing up a couple of intersections and parking lots.”
“Our two-man crew usually have things open so people can get out,” Maxwell added. “We have a great public-works team.”
The storm dumped up to 30 centimetres in Thunder Bay and adjacent rural municipalities.
Neebing clerk-treasurer Erika Kromm said clean-up efforts that continued on Tuesday “should be done by the end of (Tuesday) or (this) morning.”
In Shuniah, the bar was set high: about 220 kilometres of road lanes “and associated infrastructure were plowed, sanded and salted,” by 9 p.m. on Monday, according to municipal operations manager Craig Baumann.
On Sunday, Gillies Township issued a “significant weather event” advisory about the coming storm, recommending motorists use “extra caution when travelling, as the municipality may not be able to meet maintenance standards for roads” during the storm.
In Thunder Bay, which city officials said “got hit hard,” residential streets, sidewalks and trails are expected to be cleared by Thursday, the city said in a bulletin.
Major city roads and transit routes were cleared on Tuesday, the bulletin said.
Meanwhile, in the wake of the district-wide storm, Independent MPP Mike Mantha took the Conservative government to task over how provincial roads have been maintained so far this fall.
“Northern Ontario has been getting snow for the last three weeks and since the first snowfall we’ve experienced numerous, extensive closures on highways 17 and 11,” Mantha (Algoma-Manitoulin) said in a news release.
Mantha added: “Clearing highways after a snowfall isn’t a matter of convenience for people. It’s essential to ensure that people can get to their destination safely.”
Provincial police reminded motorists to drive according to road conditions and ensure that all vehicle windows are clear of ice and snow as required under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
Provincial police reminded motorists to drive according to road conditions and ensure that all vehicle windows are clear of ice and snow as required under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
