STORM CENTRE >>> January 22, 2021

TOWN HALL >>>
With snowfall forecast to intensify this afternoon, Town Hall and Town of Bridgewater public offices will be closing at 1 p.m. today.

TRANSIT >>>
Bridgewater Transit will continue service at this time, but transit service will end early today, concluding at 6 p.m. tonight.

LCLC >>>
LCLC is closing at 2:30 p.m. today.

DESBRISAY MUSEUM >>>
The museum has closed to the public today.

SNOW CLEARING REMINDERS >>>
With the second significant snowfall of the season upon us, it's a good time to send out the reminder about snow clearing practices in the Town of Bridgewater and to remind folks to secure off-street parking during and after bad weather so that post-storm snow removal can proceed safely and unimpeded.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

-- Roads are generally salted before a storm to deter the formation of a layer of ice on asphalt below snow cover.

-- Plowing typically begins when there is about 7 to 10 cm of snow down, with priority being given to primary routes within the first 12 hours after a storm. Supervisors are in communication with emergency officials during a storm to coordinate response to emergency calls as needed.

-- There are 70 kms of streets and 35 kms of sidewalks in Bridgewater, so cleaning up after a storm takes time. Be patient and, if possible, stay off the roads until snow clearing has taken place.

-- From 12 to 24 hours after a storm, focus areas generally include school zones, the downtown, secondary streets, then sidewalk maintenance.

-- During a storm, under Section 139 of the Motor Vehicle Act, no person is permitted to park on a street that could obstruct winter maintenance. Your vehicle could be towed, so please be prepared to find off-street parking.

-- Also, don't move or plow your snow on to a street or sidewalk. Not only is that not helpful to drivers and pedestrians alike, it's actually a violation of Section 318 of the Municipal Government Act. Under the rules in that section, no person shall deposit snow or ice on the travelled way of a street or near a portion of the travelled way that hinders clearing efforts.

That regulation extends to citizens and private contractors who have been hired to conduct snow-related property maintenance.

-- Plow It Forward: if you can help a neighbour or volunteer to clear a fire hydrant, it helps your community!

-- Regarding waste collection, all solid waste to be collected by the Town should be accessible to the collection contractor within 3 metres (approximately 10 feet) of the curb or travel‐way, placed in such a manner as to not interfere with pedestrian traffic and snow removal. There have been compost carts placed on the sidewalks in that past and they prohibit snow removal and the Town will not be responsible for broken carts if they happen to get hit by the sidewalk plow.