As Innisfailians continue to bravely face what may well turn out to be the harshest winter ever, they might want to take some comfort at the excellent job the town's beleaguered public works crews are doing in cleaning up the white and bitterly cold assaults made by a very ornery Old Man Winter.
According to Environment Canada, the accumulated 112.1 centimetres of snow from this past November and December is now a record. Another four cm of the white stuff will eclipse the total ìnormalî amount the town and region see for an entire season.
And last weekend we had to face the bitter cold, a rude Old Man Winter slap in the face to remind us that the seasonal grief is more than just the fluffy white stuff.
But kudos to the town's dozen public works staff. They have worked hard to ensure the streets are passable and safe.
Just last weekend the scribbler drove up to Edmonton and was horrified at the state of the QEII from south of Leduc to the capital city. For at least 30 kilometres the northbound lanes were dangerously covered in black ice. Sanding trucks were nowhere to be seen. It was ugly. One has to wonder why provincial and municipal officials in the area did not see fit to make Alberta's most important roadway safe and fit for motorists.
Innisfail may just be a little dot on the map to the rest of Alberta but municipal and provincial folks in charge of streets and highways would do well to check out the way things are done here. Sure, this newspaper receives the odd letter of complaint about snow removal but the disgruntled should check out either Edmonton or Red Deer ñ and maybe sections of the QEII -- to see the mess that is visible day after day for the entire winter season.
Calgary, which has relied on Chinooks for generations to clear the snow, is not immune to criticism either. A recent newspaper poll said 76 per cent of Calgary citizens are not happy with snow removal this season, despite more than $34 million in its budget, with an additional $7 million in reserve if it's needed. There are now calls to review the city's snow removal policy.
Edmonton spends more than $50 million a year on snow removal but that has not satisfied residents who are so fed up it was a major issue during last year's mayoralty election campaign. On Dec. 4, Edmonton city council unanimously passed a nine-point motion asking for an internal review to improve Edmonton's snow and ice control policy.
And in Red Deer, which has a snow removal budget of around $2.9 million, there were calls last month from some Red Deer councillors to review the way things are done there.
Wow. Alberta's three biggest cities are going to rethink their snow removal policies. That I suppose should be news but the problem here is that all three cities have heard the complaints for many, many and many years, with studies ordered and more money and resources poured into the problem.
Or they can just come here for a visit. The snow is cleared in a timely fashion. The streets are sanded. Winter will always be a struggle but life can and does goes on.
In the meantime, Innisfailians may just want to pat themselves on the back on a job well done. And remember, we've got snow angels too.
