A question from the City’s Youth Advisory Council sparked a discussion among councillors during Tuesday’s committee meetings.
According to the Youth Advisory Council, salting and sanding efforts by city snow removal crews have been seemingly not as high of a priority; however, Deputy Mayor Gladys Blackmore says the choice to avoid salting was a prudent one during the extreme cold.
“We have very good policies and procedures for putting sand and salt on the roads when it’s icy; however anyone from a grade eight science class could remember salt quits working at about 12-15 degrees below zero,” she says.
Blackmore says the choice to salt the roads during the extreme cold wave that blew through Grande Prairie in recent weeks would have simply been a waste of resources, but crews remained active and utilized sand instead of salt during the cold to ensure driver safety during the freeze.
“There’s really no point in putting that resource on the road when it’s not effective; however, our crews are still out there and they’re still sanding and doing everything they can to make our streets as safe as possible.”
City officials say crews are operational even in the worst conditions, but when temperatures drop to around -35°C, worker safety and equipment preservation become a top priority.
