The final figures have been released on the cost of snow removal in Essex County.
Director of Infrastructure Services, Tom Bateman, says while many residents felt like we had a terrible winter, the county's winter control budget was in line with the average from the past four years.
The county spent $3.2-million from November to March — that includes just under 18,000 hours of staff time and more than 21,000 tonnes of salt.
Bateman says there was a period in late December and early January when crews were working almost 24/7. "As we have seen over the last few years, the weather conditions are changing. It's a lot of less big storms and a lot of little storms that really tax us," he says. "The level of effort for chasing these small storms can be as much as some of the bigger ones."
During the five month winter period, Essex County plows were active 63 days. "These are the folks that work around the clock that are out there in horrible conditions trying to make conditions the best for us," says Bateman. "We're not late for work or school. It's really on the backs of those folks that put in the time and effort for us and we really appreciate that effort."