When do snow removal operations start?
Snow removal operations start as soon as more than five centimetres of snow have fallen.
Why isn't my road cleared first?
Snow removal routes have been planned to ensure your safety at all times. In short, the routes taken by the snow removal trucks are designed to allow the snow to be cleared as quickly as possible. Priority is given to the main arteries, which include all the main roads such as Chemin de la Montagne, Entrée Sud, Farley, Lac-à-Larche and St-Jacques, as well as the secondary roads that serve as transit for residential roads. In addition, priority is given to roads with a degree of difficulty for school buses. Finally, we clear snow from residential and local roads.
How long does it take to clear the snow?
Once the precipitation has ended, it takes 7 hours to complete the operations if less than 25 centimetres of snow has fallen and about 10 hours if more than 25 centimetres has fallen. Remember that if new precipitation occurs, the snow clearing operations in progress will start again from the beginning with the clearing of the main arteries. Sometimes these arteries have to be cleared three to four times during the same storm.
Why aren't the roads always cleared in the morning?
Considering that it takes 7 hours to clear all the roads once the storm is over, it is unfortunately very rare that the precipitation is over by midnight the day before. In addition, several factors can slow down snow removal operations, including new precipitation and equipment breakdowns.
Where should I put my recycling and waste bins on collection days?
You must place your bins on your property, behind the curb. Avoid placing them in the street. Please note that you must clear the snow from the front of your garbage storage boxes. The front of your bins must also be cleared so that the attendant can handle the bins to the truck, otherwise the bins cannot be emptied.
Why can't I park my car on the street when it snows?
Cars parked on the street slow down snow removal operations. This makes it much more difficult for snow removal vehicles to get around and makes snow removal less efficient and safe. Parked cars on the street can even prevent the snow removal equipment to circulate on your street.
Can I put my snow on the road when I clear my yard or driveway?
In accordance with the nuisance by-law number 202-99 on the territory of the municipality of Messines, according to article 12.11, ''dumping, depositing, throwing or allowing the dumping of snow or ice coming from a private building, on a public property is a nuisance".
Snow removal operation !
Did you know:
That the public works department of the Municipality of Messines is responsible for the snow removal, de-icing and sanding operations of a road network of nearly 85 kilometers.
That the person in charge of snow removal operations monitors the weather reports several times a day and plans operations according to the information obtained.
That snow removal operations begin as soon as more than five centimetres of snow has fallen on the ground. As for sanding operations, they are initiated as needed and as often as deemed necessary during the same day.
That once the precipitation has ended, it takes nearly 7 hours to complete the clearing of 85 kilometers of roads if less than 25 centimetres of snow has fallen and more than 10 hours if more than 25 centimetres of snow has fallen.
That the snow removal of the road network of the municipality is not an easy task, this one represents a surveillance and operations 24 hours a day, seven days a week and this from the first cold weather in the fall, normally around mid-November, to end towards the end of March and sometimes stretching into April.
That for some years now we have suffered the whims of Mother Nature, that it is not uncommon to receive heavy rain during the winter period. During these periods of rain and ice, it is important that you limit your outings as much as possible. During stormy weather, use the road network only when you have no other choice. Even though the equipment used for sanding roads is very heavy, these vehicles have no more traction than your personal vehicle and, during ice storms, they must be equipped with chains to give them a better grip.
The municipality has a fleet of modern, state-of-the-art equipment to perform winter maintenance on its road network. In spite of this, equipment breakdowns are possible. When a breakdown occurs in full operation, it is the entire network that suffers. The equipment that the municipality of Messines possesses is considered sufficient for the maintenance of the network the majority of the time. On the other hand, during multiple storms where the snow keeps falling for long hours or during ice storms, we would certainly need twice the equipment, but our ability to pay as citizens does not allow us to do so.