Equipment breakdowns lead Town of St. Marys to declare significant weather event

By St. Marys Independent staff

The Town of St. Marys declared a significant weather event Thursday afternoon in response to a significant snowfall and mechanical breakdowns with the town’s operating fleet.

The declaration was made in accordance with provincial law, stating a municipality must declare a significant weather event when it is unable meet the minimum requirements for clearing snow from roads and sidewalks.

The declaration means the town is working hard to clear snow, but due to equipment breakdowns, the current fleet of winter maintenance vehicles is unable to keep up with the large amounts of snow that fell Wednesday and Thursday.

The town is prioritizing the clearing of its most travelled roads and reminds residents that side streets and sidewalks may take longer to clear. Residents are asked to use caution when travelling on sidewalks and local roads due to the current conditions.

The declaration will end when the town is once again able to clear roads and sidewalks at a level that meets provincial requirements. An announcement will be made through the town’s website (townofstmarys.com), Facebook (facebook.com/stmarysontario) and Twitter (twitter.com/townofstmarys) accounts when the declaration is lifted.