A Strathcona snow day
Published March 15, 2006
On Tuesday, March 7th my life temporarily came to a sudden but gentle stop, when I and my husband's car landed in a snow covered ditch in the north end of the county. Noon hour television news casts from Edmonton that day showed dry streets and grass sprouting through what little snow was left on the shoulders of the roads.
It was a very different story east of Sherwood Park. Ditches were literally littered with vehicles. Though I did not actually make it to Highway 15 those that did commented on the number of vehicles that were at a standstill between the Dow and Shell access roads. Cars from the morning storm were still being towed out of the ditches as late as 6:30 that evening. Frankly, those who left to work before 8:00 a.m. didn't really know what they were coming home to that night.
Though it wasn't soon enough for my little adventure, in a very short time 18 Strathcona County Transportation and Agriculture employees were re-deployed. A fleet of eight graders and 10 trucks equipped with blades worked to "open" up the roads.
Roads in the rural area are the life line. Walking for assistance is often not an option. Strathcona County Winter Maintenance Policy states that those life lines are to be plowed within 72 hours. This snowfall of over 25 centimetres that fell in five hours last week had County employees working 24/7 in 12 hour shifts. This snowfall was 90% cleared in 12 hours which is well within the guidelines. This is not unusual, but rather the normal excellent service that we have come to expect.
This Council understands that a safe transportation system is vital to every county resident. They've included in the budget, additional dollars for Priority 4 road clearing in the urban area should Mother Nature bless us with a similar snowfall in Sherwood Park as well.
The number to call is 417-7100 if you have concerns with County road conditions, see a downed sign or as spring approaches, have drainage issues. This number is monitored every hour, so it is important that you leave a message including a phone number you can be reached at if you get a recording.
As for my great adventure, my greatest conciliation was that I passed several professional drivers who had the same roadside adventure as I did.
Jacquie Fenske
Councillor, Ward 5
780-464-8147
fenske@strathcona.ab.ca
Last updated: Thursday, March 25, 2010
Page ID: 2018