ESTEVAN - Estevan city council has made a few changes to the snow removal priority list for the rest of the winter.
In a report to council on Feb. 12, Hayley DeConinck, the manager of roads and drainage for the city, said when updates were made to the snow removal map in 2023, some issues were addressed, but there are a few additional changes that she believes would benefit snow removal crews, businesses and residents in these areas.
"Implementing the following minor changes to priority levels would resolve some reoccurring issues that have been identified," she said.
The downtown portion of Fifth Street from Souris Avenue South to 13th Avenue has been shifted from a Priority 2 to a Priority 1 route.
Larter Road has been upgraded from a Priority 3 to Priority 2, and the 900 block of Eva Street is now Priority 2 instead of Priority 3.
After she was finished, members of council praised snow removal crews for their efforts.
"I know we didn't have a lot this year thankfully, but it went very well and everything seemed very efficient, so good job to you and your crew," said Coun. Shelly Veroba.
Coun. Kirsten Walliser said she believes some people take the snow removal in Estevan for granted. She compared it to the City of Saskatoon, claiming that once the snowpack on the street in Saskatchewan's largest city is greater than 15 centimetres, then people can ask for the city to come in and sweep the snow into a parking lane.
"We are so fortunate that not only are we out scraping the streets, but we're hauling the snow off the roads, too," Walliser said.
She reasoned having to wait a day or two for the snow to be cleared isn't too bad with Estevan's level of snow removal.
Coun. Lindsay Clark asked about the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure's decision to have the city take care of snow removal at entrances to the community. DeConinck said the transition has gone well.
Also in DeConinck's report, she recommended adding Larter Road, Morsky Drive and the townhouses on north Nicholson Road to the list of areas where people can deposit natural substances, such as snow, onto roads, public sidewalks, boulevards and ditches.
Coun. Rebecca Foord noted the townhouses were built where there is no yard for people to push the snow, so the snow effectively gets pushed into the street.
"Some of the snow blows in from those ball diamonds, and they get six-foot drifts into their yards or their front driveways, and there's absolutely nowhere to go."
Veroba noted there have been discussions on the nine snow dump sites in the community, and she wants to see the dump sites addressed at the next council meeting.
