By Derek Cornet

Town of La Ronge creating snow removal plan

Nov 5, 2018 | 3:48 PM

Heavy snowfall kept public works employees with the Town of La Ronge busy through the day clearing local streets.

“The main priority with a big snow event like this is to get the emergency lanes clear,” said Director of Infrastructure Mike Maggrah. “Our priorities are to get the streets opened up, so people can move, then once we achieve that, we can go around and actually remove and get rid of that snow.”

When there are weather events such as today, which brought more than 10 centimeters of snow to the region, Maggrah noted residents can expect crews to start clearing La Ronge Ave., Boardman St. and the road leading to the RCMP detachment. It’s important for emergency vehicles to have access to main roads, he added, in case ambulances, fire trucks or police to need respond to an emergency call. If it keeps snowing, Maggrah expects the clean up to take between two and four days.

Public works is also currently working on a snow removal plan, that will include items such temporary signs to let residents know when crews will be active. It’s not ready for review yet, but Maggrah said it will let the public know what streets are cleared first and why. As for advice for residents, he warned motorists to give heavy equipment enough space to operate.

“They’re going ahead, backing up and the grader especially doesn’t have the best visibility,” he said. “Stay 30 feet away. Don’t try and sneak through and pass when the equipment is working, whether its loaders filling up trucks or the grader clearing the street.”

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Meanwhile, Environment and Climate Change Canada Meteorologist Terri Lang said the snow is due to a system coming in from Alberta, which should reach Manitoba sometime this evening. She added snowfall warnings were in effect for Buffalo Narrows, La Ronge and Pelican Narrows, but the snow should taper off today.

“This is about the time of year the snow is starting to fall,” Lang said. “You guys just happen to be in the path of a jet stream and the jet stream directs where all the low-pressure systems head toward.”

Lang noted northerly wind gusts of Arctic air this afternoon were up to 40-50 kilometers per hour, which pushed temperatures to as low as -20 Celsius with the windchill.

derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno