Residents Jess Spies and his son Ryker, 2, tackle a little snow clean up in North Battleford Tuesday. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

NB council

City thanks crews for making extra effort for snow clean up

Jan 10, 2023 | 12:56 PM

Snow removal was on the City of North Battleford’s mind for most of December and early January as crews hustled overtime to get the roads cleaned up.

City Manager Randy Patrick said at council’s meeting Monday that two major snow events happened back to back during the Christmas holidays.

“We were actually out on both Christmas and Boxing Day,” he said. “It takes at least three days for the major streets. It’s a bigger place than some of the other ones locally. Then, we start to work on the other streets once the major streets are finished.”

Patrick also noted the city has to clean up the streets on the days when no parking is allowed too, so basically it can’t speed up the process.

City operations crews also needed to remove snow from alleyways.

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“It was kind of an extraordinary event. We dealt with it that way [because] a lot of people were having trouble getting out of alleys or into alleys,” Patrick said. “So, we wanted to make sure they were able to do that.”

He said, overall, the timing for the clean-up work went quite well.

“It takes a good solid 10 days to do the city,” Patrick said. “I compare that to [similar] places that were doing the same kind of thing, and we were well within their time-frames.”

He added the city contended with some equipment failures towards the end of the process. But otherwise it still sent out trucks and was basically on-schedule to help residents get to their destinations over the holidays.

Currently, the city is just finishing some remaining clean up work.

“I’ve got to say, the crews have done a great job,” Patrick said. “I’m really happy with their work, and giving up their own Christmas to get out and help the citizens.”

Mayor David Gillan also took the opportunity to thank the city’s operations workers who dedicated their holidays to remove the snow, and get residents back on track.

“I think the city has done a fantastic job,” he said. “As someone who drives around in a little car, I find it quite easy to get around in the city. There will be hiccups; there will be some issues. But two storms right in a row at a time when people are on holidays as well, with cars on the road and visitors in our city, and our own employees trying to have a bit of a break.”

Gillan echoed Patrick’s sentiments.

“There was snow getting moved on Christmas Day!” he said. “Yes, there will always be a hiccup here and there, but it is just fantastic.”

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angela.brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW