A big thank you goes out to all the snowplow operators in Renfrew County and across the Ottawa Valley who will be working long hours to keep the roads clear heading into the holidays as a winter storm hits the region. Taylor Hanrath, the Acting Director of Public Works for the County of Renfrew says all of their plows are loaded with salt and sand.
Hanrath tells our newsroom that the County of Renfrew has 814 kilometers of road to maintain and notes snowplow operators will be working long hours over the holiday weekend.
The Acting Director of Public Works says crews will be working split shifts to ensure staff are always on hand to keep the roads clear. Hanrath says crews will also pre-salt the roads to ensure there’s no ice build-up.
The County of Renfrew has declared a significant weather event. County staff say the significant weather event does not mean there will be a reduced level of service, but it may take longer than usual to bring road conditions back to a state of repair due to the heavy snowfall.
Environment Canada has issued a winter storm warning across the Ottawa Valley and western Quebec. Renfrew County and the City of Pembroke could see 15 to 25 centimeters of snowfall by Friday afternoon with wind gusts up to 70 kilometers per hour. The Fort William, Shawville and Rapides-des-Joachims areas could see 20 to 40 centimeters of snow fall from Thursday night to Friday night with some areas receiving almost 60 centimeters by Saturday.
(written by: Rudy Kadlec)
