By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
As Cobourg council’s Public Works Services Co-ordinator, Councillor Brian Darling was bound to focus on the gargantuan snowstorm of Jan. 17 at Monday’s meeting.
“I think everyone has realized snow happens,” Darling said, relating stories he has heard of neighbours helping neighbours with shoveling out sidewalks and driveways. In the end, however, it took two full weeks for a complete clean-out after that storm.
Just in time, Mayor John Henderson noted, with Cobourg due for another 10 to 15 cm. Thursday.
“Staff understand the frustration of snowplows pushing the snow in on sidewalks and driveways but, unfortunately, the reality in winter is that the snow has to get off the road,” Darling said.
The ploughs don’t have the capacity just to push the snow farther along the street, he added – it has to go to the right as they make their rounds.
Darling reiterated the plea that goes out repeatedly every winter: to avoid on-street parking overnight. To illustrate why, he shared a photo taken from a snowplough two weeks ago of a residential street that badly needed clearing, but was inaccessible to the equipment because of cars parked on both sides of the roadway.
