Town handles early, heavy snowfall

    Last week’s heavy dump of snow was not unprepared for by the snow removals crews with the Town of Drumheller, as early mornings and much salt was used to clear the valley’s roads.     “Given the time of year it’s probably predictable,” says operations manager of the town’s infrastructure services Keith Russell, “although a lot of snow we were reasonably well set-up.”
    Not all of the streets are cleared in Drumheller, as many are well aware. Priority is given to downtown routes and major arteries, with many residential streets not being managed at all.
    “We only do the ones that are approved for pickup on the council approved map,” said Russell, referring to the Snow Removal and Ice Control Strategy laid out by town council in 2007. The document can be found at the town’s website, www.dinosaurvalley.com.
    “There is not the money, nor the resources, to pick up every street in Drumheller. We get done what we can do.”
    Russell says there are a few more areas where snow needs to be removed, but for the most part the snowplows are caught up with the inches of white stuff piled into the valley last week.
    “There was nothing special about the snowfall other than we got it all in one week.”