The Timmins public works department has been ready since early October, for the icy mess the weather the next day or so is promising.
Manager of Public Works Shane Skinner says in compliance with provincial minimum road maintenance standards, equipment and staff are poised and on-call.
“We have crews that will be dispatched in accordance to whatever is coming. It if’s snow, obviously plows will be ready,” he pledges. “If it’s freezing rain, we’ll be putting abrasion material down, so just sand-salt mix as required.”
That management of traction issues is for roads and sidewalks.
Skinner notes that his workers and equipment can’t be everywhere simultaneously, so drive to the conditions and maintain a good stopping distance.
“People do have to change their reaction times during the first event of the year. So we just want people to drive according to the conditions cautiously, to ensure they get where they need to get safely.”
The forecast is for up to 10mm of ice build-up; as much as 50mm of rain; and 5cm of ice pellet accumulation.