“One of the biggest challenges that we faced is this new normal of changing forecasts. Forecasts are not accurate at the best of times but they seem to be becoming less accurate over time,” Tarmo Uukkivi, Huntsville’s new director of operations and protective services told council at a special meeting held January 11.
Uukkivi was giving council a high-level overview of how the Christmas storm event was handled, and things to consider moving forward. ” So maybe lesson number one is to make sure that as we’re looking at forecasts that complacency doesn’t set in hoping that nothing comes of it. We just prepare as if it’s going to be this kind of event, each time.”
He said the amount of snow and drift caused reduced visibility. “There were all kinds of hidden hazards underneath that snow for people like plow operators and as you’re digging out there were trees under snow that you couldn’t see and we were hitting things well beyond what the normal hits were. So at that point in time throughout this, because of the nature of the snow, because of the winds and the blind site lines and the hazards, we got a lot of questions about where the plows were. We did pull them off the road for health and safety, admittedly,” said Uukkivi. “That’s one of the things that we are permitted to do when we declare a significant weather event. So it gives us the opportunity legislatively to protect our staff under the Occupational Safety Act to make sure they’re safe and not hitting something.”
Uukkivi said operators did remain available during that time. “The plows remained available. So the operators may not have been plowing their routes completely, although I will say that we had at least two or three plows on throughout all of this. They were available to emergency services on a call-by-call basis.” Uukkivi said when 911 calls were made and paramedics, police, or the fire department were having difficulty accessing an area, “we would dispatch a plow with emergency services and they would go clear a route for them.”
He said their first priority during the storm was public and staff safety. Warnings were going out telling people to avoid unnecessary travel and plows were available to respond in concert with first responders. He said in terms of staff, the department was working with their experience and comfort level. “And if it was just deemed completely unsafe they weren’t required to be pushing snow, and that’s just in the best interest of everybody.”
He said there were also legislated requirements for hours of work that had to be adhered to. He told council all of the Town’s plow operators fall under commercial vehicle certification and there are strict rules. Operators are not allowed to work more than 13 hours during a 24-hour period. “It’s mandatory to have rest periods even in emergencies. It’s very important to follow those because we’ve all seen what happens when a tractor-trailer drives off the road, and that’s where that comes from.”
Uukkivi told council staffing was a challenge not only because of legislative requirements but because of vacancies that haven’t been filled. He said there were also staff members off sick over the holidays due to a cold that had spread through the department like in other workplaces. Uukkivi also noted that some members, although sick, went in anyway to help out during the storm.
He said the ability to have 24-hour coverage needs to be firmed up, including weekend resources and coverage of statutory holidays. “We were admittedly scrambling a bit to get people in,” said Uukkivi.
Another issue that will be delved into deeper is equipment capacity and availability. “We have the equipment to deal with a normal Huntsville winter event. There is no issue with our equipment, I need to put that out there first.” But when it comes to an event like the one experienced during the Christmas holiday, said Ukkivvi, equipment breaks down because it is not meant to deal with five feet of snow. Sometimes the equipment failure can be fixed quickly but other times it is catastrophic. Parts have to be ordered and the machine is out of commission. Sometimes fixing breakdowns, like replacing a gearbox for a blower is almost as much as a new blower, he said.
Uukkivi also said another lesson learned is to have prearranged contracts and agreements in place. He said while you hope you never have to use them, if a significant event hits like the one in December, the municipality will be given priority. He said many contractors during the storm already had other responsibilities. “That’s not a knock on anybody it just is what it is but if we had contracts in place that put the Town as a priority, that might help move things a little bit faster in the future.”
He said new relationships were forged as everyone – at all levels – tried to help one another, including tow truck companies. The City of Toronto also helped by loaning out two of its blowers.
He said communicating to the public the plan and what was happening as well as the timing in the midst of the storm was a challenge. “I think the biggest feedback from the public was what the plan was… we did have the plan in the background, we were executing on the plan but like every good group of workers, we just put our nose to the grindstone, heads down and got it done and just forgot to tell people we were doing it, or what we were up to. So that’s where I think the communication could be far improved.”
A detailed report with recommendations and costing is expected to return to council, possibly next month.
Don’t miss out on Doppler!
Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox so you don’t miss anything!
Click here to support local news
Great job by all departments over the course of the storm! Its the old saying for all is to be prepared! Fought Mother Nature for 40 plus years in snow removal and keeping the lights on! 90 % of the people have no idea what the terrain is like in Muskoka! I can tell you it is rough country! Nothing is easy and with 4 feet of snow, with no bottom its a snowmobile nightmare on the right of ways! I remember many days and weeks gone on the road in all conditions, roads closed, power out, my wife in the country raising 3 kids, no running water but a good old wood stove, cook and heat, she never complained once, she new what the boys were going through!!!! Thanks to all the crews making it work!
Thank you Frank van der Staay for providing your perspective. I understand that in Lake of Bays township that operators came out of retirement to lend a hand. We are very grateful for the public service people who understood the gravity of the situation.
I agree that this was an extreme event but the efficiency exhibited by the Lake of Bays snow removal team far surpassed that of Huntsville. It was quite a surprise to me to find the roads in Huntsville had not been cleared after turning off of the main Highways early in the morning of the 25th, while I was travelling from Lake of Bays to Huntsville. Private plow operators were out clearing driveways before municipal plows.
This certainly needs to be addressed before another similar incident.
Imagine Toronto sending us help!
It’s always great to see how dedicated the various departments, first responders and Hydro are at working diligently through these calamities – thank you all for being there!!!
I also appreciate the efforts of all workers during the storm. That goes without saying. However, improvements are necessary here in Huntsville. It was a bad storm and we will be having more of them. Of course we need to be talking about climate change. That’s a whole different conversation.
The storm over Christmas was a very different event than those in a normal winter. It was the worst storm I’ve seen in many long years. I can’t believe that anyone would complain about the services provided. I was a long way away, an hour north of Parry Sound and we had some blizzard conditions and no power for at least 36 hours. Then roads were either closed or unsafe, so didn’t get home till Wednesday after Christmas. I applaud all those who had to be out of their homes at this time, especially road crews and hydro crews. People need to be prepared and then stay at home. No excuse for laying blame at the door of those who give so much in time of crisis. Instead of complaining, try pushing our governments to heed the call of climate change.
I agree with everyone that they tried to get the job done in a timely and efficient manner but the fact is that it wasn’t. I’m glad that reflection on the pitfalls is happening and hopefully there will be a better plan in place in the future. However, the problem with the town communication needs to be addressed immediately. I hope it is!
It is difficult to remain calm and run an operation that includes so many unknown factors such as weather, mechanical equipment, hidden hazards, human conditions such as staff (holidays, overtime, illness, etc) especially in the face of unprecedented events like the snowfall of this Christmas.
Congratulations to Tarmo and his staff for getting through this calamity without loss of life or major equipment. It is a difficult job, keeping the roads clear and safe while staying within the allotted budget.
We certainly appreciate the efforts of the town staff to keep our street open and can live with a little inconvenience during a storm such as happened last month. Many thanks.
I would like to point out that five feet of snow did not fall all at once. Yes. There was a lot of snow and the accumulation did get ahead of the operators. We definitely noticed that. I cannot believe it’s because of a “cold” virus affecting staffing. Honestly, people’s safety and feeling of security were jeopardized. And your answer is lack of staff due to illness and on top of that your decision to pull equipment off the road.
My hats off to the Town of Huntsville public works department. The past storm was very extraordinary event. All the towns staff that was part in dealing with what Mother Nature challenged us need to be commended for a job well done to the best of their abilities. Its good that Mr. Ukkiivi has presented to council and to the public just what they were up against in a very challenging way. I hope all those Residents now after reading the overview what the public works were facing and how they were dealing with the situation , now have a better idea why their streets and roads were not cleared in the normal fashion.
Thank You, Tarmo