SHUNIAH – WEATHER – Shuniah is notifying residents that the winter storm hitting the region is going to impact road clearing efforts in Shuniah.
In a statement issued this afternoon:
Environment Canada issued a Winter Storm Warning on December 23, 2020. The forecast for our region currently calls for 10 to 20 centimeters of snowfall by the morning of December 24, 2020. There will also be northerly wind gusts in excess of 50km/hour causing localized blowing snow over exposed areas.
As per Regulation 239/02 of the Municipal Act 2001, The Municipality of Shuniah is declaring a SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENT affecting all maintained roads under the Municipal jurisdiction, due to the forecasted significant snow accumulation and high wind gusts causing drifting and potential freezing rain.
A Significant Weather Event – As per Regulation 239/02 of the Municipal Act 2001, an Ontario municipality may declare a significant weather event when a weather hazard is approaching or occurring and has the potential to pose a significant danger to users of the roadways in which they have authority over. This declaration suspends the standard timelines required for municipalities to meet their winter maintenance objectives until the municipality declares the significant weather event has ended. In each case, during the course of a declared significant weather event, the standard for addressing winter maintenance is to monitor the weather and to deploy resources to address the issue starting from the time that the municipality deems it appropriate to do so. When the municipality has declared the event has ended, the standard timelines for winter maintenance activities will begin.
The Municipality of Shuniah advises that this declaration takes effect Wednesday December 23, 2020 at 3:00pm for a period of 24 hours ending Thursday December 24, 2020 at 3:00pm, this is not notice of road closure.
Public Works staff will continue to perform snow removal operations up until 9:00pm December 23, 2020, at which time all resources will be removed from service. Public Works staff will return to snow plowing operations at 5:00am, December 24, 2020.
The declaration is to notify the public that due to the forecasted conditions, caution is to be observed when travelling on Municipal Roads and that it may take longer than usual to bring the condition of the roads back to optimal driving conditions.
Shuniah Public Works would like to remind residents to keep vehicles parked in driveways and away from the road both during and immediately following the winter event so as not to impede snow plowing operations.
The Municipality asks residents to please have patience, and if possible, stay off the roads during and immediately following the event so operations staff can efficiently clear the roadways.
