The early onset of winter has Dysart et al pulling out the cheque book for extra sand.
At Tuesday’s council meeting, Rob Camelon, the Director of Public Works, got approval to purchase another 5,000 tonnes of sand to be used for winter maintenance. The estimated cost of the extra sand is $75,000 which Camelon said will be taken from the Winter Maintenance Budget.
Camelon told council that this winter has been especially “hard” on the supply of sand. He said the rain paired with the below-freezing conditions have created a lot of ice on the roads and walkways. According to Camelon, typically, the MTO and Fowler Construction Company goes through less than 1,000 tonnes through the winter and by the end of January, they had gone through 1,200 tonnes.
This issue is not unique to the area Camelon told council and that several jurisdictions across the province are experiencing the same issues.
