Many residents across British Columbia were stranded for nearly nine hours in their vehicles as the first snowstorm hit the province.
Chaos, skidding cars, and accidents had taken over social media feeds as residents, bus drivers and pedestrians were left stranded for hours.
According to CBC News, the City of Vancouver and Surrey have an annual snow removal budget of $4 million while other municipalities have a budget of less than $1 million.
Read: City of Pitt Meadows announces $47.7 million budget for 2022
Despite that, snow removal action was prompt in Ridge Meadows.
On Tuesday when the heavy snowfall accumulated to nearly 20 cm in some areas, city crews had proactively used a salt solution to prevent the snow from freezing on the road, the city shared.
In anticipation of more snow, additional salt was added to the roads.
“Our crews worked through the night to clear the priority routes until the snowfall ended and those routes remained clear. We have swapped out crews and the full fleet remains out in the community clearing secondary priority routes in the community.“
Similarly in Pitt Meadows, main routes were prioritized as crew members plowed and salted the roads.
Residents of both communities expressed gratitude for the hard work of city staff and for prioritizing the safety of people.
“I would like to send a big thank you out to all the city crew, the roads were amazing this morning, thank you for putting in long hours to keep us all safe,” wrote Michelle Code on social media.
But residential roads might not be plowed for days to come.
“Roads are cleared on a priority basis starting with main routes. Due to the demands on our crews in other areas, it may be several days before residential streets are plowed,” stated City of Pitt Meadows on social media.
Both cities advised residents to clear out sidewalks around their property before 10 a.m. for pedestrians.
More snow is on its way for Friday night with an expected accumulation of four cm.
