First major snow fall give roads department a chance to see how much they remember from last year. So far so good.

December 14, 2013

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON. The snow plow roared by our driveway – it looks like it is going to need another touch from the new snow shovel my wife bought.  I have to add that she was the one who tested the shovel.

The city has a full fleet out clearing primary roads, parking lots and walkways and adding extra buses to meet public transit needs.

They move at quite a clip – full fleet of city trucks is out this evening.

As of 4 p.m. today, all facilities remain open, except for Rotary Centennial Pond. The outdoor ice skating surface in Spencer Smith Park is snow-covered and subject to high winds. It will reopen on Sunday.

The city has received about 20 centimetres of snow as of 3 p.m. today, with another seven to 10 centimetres predicted by early tomorrow.

Updates on snow clearing are posted three times daily on the city’s website at 9 a.m., 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. during winter control operations.

Burlington Transit has added extra buses and maintenance staff to keep buses on schedule. Nice little bit of overtime for the boys at transit.

Birds aren’t going to be out much today.

 “City staff has been working hard around the clock since yesterday to make travel safe in Burlington,” said Cathy Robertson, director of roads and parks maintenance. “While the storm continues, most of our resources are focused on clearing primary and secondary roads. Please be patient if your road has not been reached. The city aims to have all roads plowed within 24 hours following the end of a storm.”

 The city asks residents to:

Drive safely, if you must drive

Avoid shoveling snow from driveways onto the roads

Clear fire hydrants near your home

Keep parked vehicles off the roadways so snow plows can get through

The Gazette learned earlier in the day that the library was closing for the afternoon. We passed that information along to the city’s media people.  If you’re aware of anything else you think they should know – send the information our way and we will get it to them.