Whether it’s raining ice pellets, blizzard-like conditions or a historic dumping of snow coming down, they answer the call.
It doesn’t matter if it’s the holidays. They don’t wear capes or have badges – but their efforts do go a long way in keeping Northumberland communities safe.
Yes, we’re talking about public works and roads crews and snowplow operators in Northumberland – winter’s unsung heroes.
In Brighton alone, manager of economic development and communication Ben Hagerman says a small but mighty team has been logging a lot of hours since old man winter swooped in harsher and a lot earlier this year.
The region has seen back-to-back lashings and storms featuring all the elements in recent weeks – storms that coated communities in ice, to a historic snowfall during the Boxing Day storm, when about 15.6 centimetres of snow was recorded at the CFB Trenton station.
The previous record was 12 centimetres, set about 30 years ago back in 1996.
And despite the wretched weather and challenges crews have been facing, Hagerman says staff continue to answer the call to keep Brighton roads and sidewalks safe and clear.
In Brighton, a small but mighty team is responsible for managing more than 250 kilometres worth of roads and 40 kilometres worth of sidewalks throughout the community during the winter months.
Hagerman also notes that mandated minimum maintenance standards are also increasing all the time, especially when it comes to sidewalks, main arterial roads and the like, which means additional layers of pressure on the team and municipality.
In other words, none of this is easy – not working in these intense conditions or planning operations.
“Last year, and this year, we’re definitely getting real winters,” adds Hagerman.
In nearby communities, leaders like Cobourg Mayor Lucas Cleveland are also publicly acknowledging crews’ around-the-clock efforts recently to tackle maintenance of more than 127 kilometres worth of town roads and about 33 kilometres of sidewalks, paths, parking lots, and more.
To put into perspective the amount of snow the area has been receiving, just recently the Town of Cobourg tackled snow removal operations downtown. Cleveland says about 1,450 tonnes of snow, and 90 loads were hauled away.
“Our winter maintenance crews are true community heroes,” Northumberland County Warden Bob Crate told MBC. “Across hundreds of kilometres of county and local municipal roads, our plow operators and other public works staff work tirelessly through snow, ice and the harshest winter weather to keep our communities moving.
“In recent weeks especially their long hours, skill and dedication have helped ensure residents can travel safely to family, work, school, medical appointments and home again. On behalf of county council, I want to express our sincere gratitude for the professionalism and commitment of these winter front-line workers who answer the call no matter the forecast.”
At the county level, under roads alone, crews are responsible for maintaining more than 500 kilometres worth.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
