Seasonal Weather Brings Thunder Bay out to Play
THUNDER BAY – Weather – Mild temperatures offer the opportunity to get out and enjoy the outdoors. Thunder Bay residents are venturing out to enjoy our amazing outdoor opportunities. After days of bitter Arctic cold the balmy highs of -3c have shifted focus. Skiing, skating and sliding can now top the charts instead of grumbling at the television and wishing for warmer weather.
Ski conditions are going to be almost springlike across the region.
Environment Canada is calling for periods of light snow ending this morning then mainly cloudy with 40 percent chance of flurries. There is a risk of freezing drizzle early this morning. Fog patches early this morning. Wind becoming northwest 20 km/h early this afternoon. High minus 2.
For many residents, after the long cold spell, getting out to enjoy some outdoors might be just what the doctor ordered. Shoppers in the Bay and Algoma district, and the downtown Fort William and Waterfront District can enjoy their favourite shops, a tour and walk.
The skating pond at the Waterfront is likely to be extra busy today and a site that many people finally get out to enjoy without freezing their ears off.
Snow Bank Removal
Shoppers and merchants in the downtown areas have been bringing the height of the snowbanks in the shopping areas in the central business districts to the attention of the city.
In early December, NNL was on a tour of the downtown south core with Mayor Keith Hobbs, City Managers Tim Commisso, Darrel Matson, and Brad Adams. The issue of snow clearing, and street lighting was raised. The Fort William We have a Neighbourhood to Build group was also participating in the walk-about.
The Fort William Business Improvement Area has also been concerned about the snow removal conditions in Thunder Bay. The massive snowbanks, in the downtown Fort William BIA along Justice Lane, banks are up to four feet tall. While the City has pushed walkways through the banks, the difficulty for both drivers and pedestrians has been very present.
Depending on the weather conditions it now appears some success has been achieved.
Thunder Bay General Manager of Development Services Mark Smith shares, “The Roads Division has tentatively scheduled snow removal operations to commence Sunday January 12, for the removal of snow banks in the areas of; South Core, North Core, Simpson Street, Westfort. and the Bay & Algoma area. Snow bank removal is required in these areas to restore the traffic capacity of the roadway. The work should take approximately two weeks to complete, depending on winter weather events during this period.
“It is important to understand that if, prior to commencement or during snow removal operation, a ‘winter event’ occurs, that is to say we get more snow, that requires the plowing of streets, snow bank removal work will be suspended. Resources utilized in the snow removal operation are needed to perform plowing operations. In this case, snow removal operations would resume after all plowing priorities have been addressed”.
