Driving A Snow Plow Is No Easy Task

There’s no shortage of Canadian kids who grew up wondering about or wishing they could be behind the wheel of a Zamboni. But a snow plow? Maybe not so much.

Still, after Sunday’s massive storm the plows were out in full force, meaning those that get paid to drive one were facing a major call to arms, or arm as it were.

With 5,500 kilometres of roads in Toronto and about 7,600 sidewalks, many drivers were pulling double duty before the work week even started. Some had to double back and go over the same road twice, while others making a maiden voyage down a freshly snowed-in side street were in so deep even they were getting stuck.

By Monday most of the major routes in the GTA were clear, but many residential streets still needed some attention, a fact plow drivers say is only worsened by certain residents’ lack of cooperation.

The worst offenders are those that leave their cars parked in such a way that the plows can’t squeeze through. That means the house before the car, in front of it, and the one after it are probably still buried from the street to the curb.

“We really hoped that people would tuck their car into their driveway and allow the plow to do a much better job,” said Peter Noehammer with Toronto Transportation Services.

Looking up and checking for a sign that indicates “No parking, snow route” might also be a good idea before you leave your vehicle somewhere.

Residents clearing their sidewalks or walkways and tossing the white stuff back onto the road is another issue. Most plow drivers aren’t thrilled with doing a stretch again when they’ve already been over it twice.

Along with the plowing, crews also have to salt the roads, which presents an entirely separate set of obstacles. Spreading 10,000 tonnes of anything is hardly a simple job, a fact demonstrated by the $70 million then-Mayor Mel Lastman spent on bringing in the army after the brutal storm of 1999.

The cleanup from Sunday’s storm is expected to run the city close to $5 million.