Snow lift completed in Tillsonburg downtown

Manager of Public Works Richard Sparham stands next to the mountains of snow dumped at the town site on Progress Drive. Town crews moved snow out of the downtown on Feb. 19 and 20. A backhoe operator in the background was moving the snow into neater piles so more could be added. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

Snow lift sounds like the name of a Tom Clancy novel, or an exciting military operation. Instead, it’s something more mundane but of utmost importance: removing the piles of snow from downtown Tillsonburg.

Following the snow on Family Day weekend, the piles of snow between parking areas and the sidewalks was in excess of two feet in height. Snow lift is the term the public works staff uses for the operation where department staff go in at night to remove the snow and transport it outside town to the snow disposal site on Progress Drive.

Asked how the call is made how to make a snow lift, Manager of Public Works Richard Sparham answered, “It's not a specific threshold, it is generally the observed impacts of snow barriers which are problematic to pedestrians to safely navigate their way along sidewalks and trying to climb over snow piles.”

He and Roads Manager Jeff VanGulck made the call that a snow lift is needed, although there was also input from town councillors and the BIA.

The last time a snow lift was completed was in 2023, and the lack of snow last year didn’t necessitate any clean-up activities. This snow lift was a two-day operation, starting on Feb. 19 at midnight and continuing until 8 a.m. The first night, Broadway and parts of Brock, Ridout, and Harvey Streets were cleared, while a second night was needed to clean the side streets.

It’s no small task, requiring seven staff, four or five contracted dump trucks with drivers, two loaders, a grader, skid steer and a Trackless sidewalk plow.

Sparham praised the dedication of staff for clearing the streets on the Family Day weekend.

“It really doesn’t matter when any major event occurs,” he said. “If it happens on Christmas Day, New Year’s, Family Day, etc., staff’s dedication is such that their duties are to maintain roads and other infrastructure for the safe use by residents. This is something we take seriously and with great pride.”