City of Prince George snow clearing operations will be slowed due to the high volume of snow dumped over the region this week.
According to the city's communications officer Michael Kellett, the city normally clears the highest traffic areas within 48 hours of the end of a snowfall. These areas include main arterial roads, downtown streets, hospital and civic districts and bus routes. The high rate of snowfall over the last several few days forced city workers to double back in clearing these higher priority areas several times. Areas such as side streets, driveways, some residential streets and laneways are cleared only after higher priority areas are completed, usually within 72 hours of the completion of the priority areas.
As a result, the full snow removal of residential streets could take up to five days.
“We've basically been going flat out with city equipment since Friday,” Kellett said.
The city has deployed its full arsenal of snow-clearing equipment, including eight plow trucks, 11 graders, 22 loaders, one loader-plow, three sidewalk machines, 15 snow-hauling trucks and one snow blower.
Over the course of three days, between Tuesday evening and Thursday morning, Environment Canada estimated the city saw between 35 and 40 cm of snowfall. Prince George normally receives 28 cm of snow over the course of a month during the winter season.
Environment Canada's measure of precipitation hit 20.8 mm on Wednesday, breaking the city's previous one-day record of 19.3 mm, which occurred in 1948.
All schools within School District 57 remained open during the day, but many morning school buses were cancelled or delayed. According to Tim Bennett, chair of District 57, buses were cancelled in Valemount and Mcbride.
“A lot of people are deciding to stay home today,” Bennett said.
“If you don't have to be out today, don't be out.”
Other civic and cultural events will go ahead as planned. The performance by pop-rock bank Hedley will proceed at the CN Centre this evening, with doors opening at 6 p.m. A planned lecture at the Two Rivers Gallery by Helen Marzolf, executive director of Victoria's Open Space artist-run centre, will proceed as planned at 7:30 p.m. this evening. A lecture at the Prince George Public Library entitled "Urban Farming for Fun and Profit" will also proceed as planned at 7 p.m.
A media release issued by the city stated that on-street parking by-laws will remain in effect. Parking is prohibited from midnight to 7 a.m. in the downtown core, from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. in high priority snow clearing areas, and in residential areas from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For overnight parking in residential areas, street parking is permitted on the side of the street with odd house numbers between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m.
Motorists caught illegally parking face a $50 ticket. A map of priority areas for city snow clearing can be found here.
