Our snow dump on Marc Chagall Avenue does indeed look like a ski hill. It has been a miserable winter thus far and that means a lot of action has occurred in the dump.
Three mechanical shovels have been working around the clock in recent days, building a pyramid shape. We are now edging over halfway in the dump and need to build up. These equipment/vehicles are not noisy.
Our Public Works crews were blowing the snow throughout the city last week. There was an urgent need to get rid of the hardened snow and ice from the edges of the roads at the sidewalks and remnants from private contractors. As we were doing this during the week, the cold weather created extremely hard ice areas. The icy conditions are dangerous and we want to provide safe access throughout the city. Hospitals and schools are blown first and we start there at 5 am, so that operations are done before the working day begins. Trucks then need access to the dump to deposit the snow and then return to the roads to load up again.
There is one plus regarding the snow dump and people who live across the street and are often disturbed by noises. The snow wall along Marc Chagall is higher than ever, creating a fantastic sound and visual border. The transport trucks in general are abiding by the rules specified in their contracts.
Given the state of affairs on that street with construction and snow removal operations, the city continues to do its utmost to be very respectful towards the residents' quality of life, paying special attention to issues that arise in a timely manner.
Last year our biggest snow storm of the season came in early March, so who knows what is ahead of us this winter?
