Snow removal was the topic again between Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) directors, SCRD staff, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) representatives and the public Monday night.
The meeting, held at the Sechelt Indian Band hall, was not well attended, but citizens who did participate had several questions regarding the road classification system and offered ideas to make services run more smoothly the next time the Coast is hit with a blizzard.
"I call it the heartland strategy," said Barry Wilbee, alternate SCRD director for Pender Harbour/Egmont.
He said communities at the north end of the Lower Sunshine Coast are considering purchasing a snowmobile with a tow stretcher and providing snowshoes to first responders who might need them to reach a patient on an unplowed road. He spoke about dispersing the best of the equipment and machinery with tire chains at strategic spots rather than warehousing them in one location.
A resident from Halfmoon Bay said there used to be sandboxes at the tops of many hills so residents could help themselves by sanding the roadway and suggested they be set up again.
Bill Elsner, emergency program co-ordinator for the SCRD, addressed the audience with his synopsis of the snow events.
"We have an emergency plan. I was available the whole time," Elsner said, adding first responders told him they were managing because people seemed to be staying home during the snowstorms that hit in waves throughout December.
Much of the public's frustration voiced at the first meeting held in January at the SCRD centred around residents' inability to speak with anyone by phone because Capilano Highways' local voicemail box was often full and few knew about the 1-800 number that MOTI reps said residents should have called.
"I think it would be prudent for us to activate a call centre at the SCRD so we can communicate with Capilano [Highways] and not just in a snow storm, but in a wind storm," said Elsner.
According to Don Legault, representing the MOTI, roads are classified in priority from A to F.
He said roads classified as A, Highway 101 from Redrooffs Road to Langdale, have a volume of 5,000 vehicles per day and are allowed a maximum snow accumulation of four centimetres before the centre lane must be cleared. The second lane can accumulate up to eight centimetres. The rest of Highway 101 and the Port Mellon highway are class B and must be plowed by the time six centimetres of snow accumulate. School bus routes, which are often transit routes too, and industrial roads are classified as C and allowed 10 centimetres of accumulation, while residential roads are a D classification and maximum allowance of snow is 15 centimetres. Rarely used roads are E classified and all island roads are considered F or unmaintained.
He said salt is applied to the road when the temperature is minus six and rising or it won't be effective and sand is used when the temperature is minus four and falling.
The suggestion to discuss local area specifications was well-received by MOTI representative Brian Atkins and it as suggested that Capilano Highways and MOTI could now better understand which roads are major connectors for rural communities. This would also allow the contractor to respond according to provincial road classifications with local requirements in mind.
MOTI reps will now meet with Elsner to co-ordinate a better emergency response communication system and possibly communities at the north end of the highway to discuss some of the ideas that were brought up at the meeting. A report from the meeting will also be provided to the next corporate services committee of the SCRD.
