Snow Removal Operations – St. John’s, NL
Here’s a compilation video I put together of some footage I got in early February. Some of my “mainland” friends wanted to know what we do with all our snow, especially in the downtown area.
A brief description of what you’re seeing:
During the day, council puts out signs informing residents that snow removal operations will be taking place in their area, and to remove their cars from the street. Anyone who doesn’t, will wake up the next morning to find their cars… gone (towed away, not eating by the snowblower).
Operations usually take place overnight, between midnight and 7:00am to avoid holding up traffic, especially in the downtown core.
Loaders with large blades and sidewalk plows push the snow from the sidewalk and curbline into the middle of the street, forming a large snowbank down one lane.
A snowblower then blows the snow from this snowbank into the backs of dumptrucks, where it is then taken to the harbour and dumped in.
After cleaning up the remnants of the operation a bit, again with the loaders, they move on to another street, leaving behind a clean road, with more room for vehicles, pedestrians, and… more snow.
Please note: I WAS close to some of these large vehicles, but was only safe in being so close because I was wearing a reflective safety vest, and had informed the foreman what I was doing, assuring him I would stay out of their way. Please be safe, and stay clear, if this kind of thing takes place where you live.
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January 3rd, 2009 at 5:42 am
In newer parts of the city (which are designed better than downtown) they pretty much either drop a wing blade onto the sidewalks and push it back or run a blower down the sidewalk. Downtown (where this video is taken) is much more tricky.
January 4th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Yeah I guess you have a point. It just looks so messy and a lot more compicated than it should be. Telephone poles are back from the street.
January 6th, 2009 at 3:57 am
Graders cannot be used in St. John’s because they cannot navigate the short, narrow streets of downtown. They used to use them, but it took forever because sometimes it would take one of them two or three tries to make one turn onto another street. Also, are your telephone poles on the curb, or back from the street?
January 6th, 2009 at 4:11 am
I’m in Anchorage, Alaska. Although you haul it away the same way with trucks and snow blower, you don’t clean the streets the same. Using graders is more effective. It takes two, sometimes 3, but it’s faster, and you have one simple line in the middle of the street instead of huge piles like you see here. Those streets would’ve been cleared in no time with graders. The guy standing there is doing nothing, up here he would’ve already been ran over by a grader.
January 8th, 2009 at 5:56 am
In Ontario its illegal to not have a blue strobe light flashing while doing snow removal.
January 8th, 2009 at 10:47 am
Nice peice of work. I like it.
January 9th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Hey,crackedglassheart I agree with you. Pick up a shovel for the the **** coming out of your face *******. You sound jaded. You must have a crappy job.
January 9th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Cracked, you’re…cracked, alright.
If you want to try and make an actual point instead of just swearing and name-calling, then go right ahead. If not, you really don’t make yourself out to be as mature as even a 10-year-old, let alone a 28-year-old.
January 10th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
This is funny right, look at this guy walking backwards. Getting paid to stand around and watching snow flying in the back of the truck! Give me a rock I throws it at em! Fucking lazy ****! pick up a shouvel and work ya *******!
January 12th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
CAUTION! St.John’s has to many workers getting over paid! Thats why the sidewalks are not getting done! If I was the mayor I would pay them minnimum wage!! **** THOSE LAZY WORKERS! Start pinning them off with rocks next time you see 5 people watching one guy work!
January 13th, 2009 at 5:28 am
What the ****??? TWO GODDAMN PLOWS!!! Get on the fucking sidewalks assholes! We should all start riot, if the sidewalks dont get plowed neither does the fucking roads! put that in your pipe and smoke it **** tards!!!!!
January 14th, 2009 at 5:57 am
now take this video to the mayor in toronto, to show him how its really done!
January 14th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
No, they call in the army for an inch up there… hah.
We can get two feet of it in one day and our mayor doesn’t even bat an eyelash. State of Emergency? What’s that?
January 17th, 2009 at 5:56 am
next time you get this much snow, call in the military like they do in toronto….
January 18th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
And in the “Snow Clearing Information” pamphlet the city gives to all residents, this is one of the Frequently Asked Questions:
“Why do snow clearing and removal operations cause so much noise?”
‘Cause the trucks and plows don’t work so well if we turn them off and have to push them.
January 18th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Yeah, the good ol rumbling of the beast as it clears your street, you can see the blue flashes at your window… comforting in some way…
January 22nd, 2009 at 4:31 am
I live in Alaska and wished this is how they did it here….I will use this video to show our mayor how it is done….
thanks
January 24th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
yout income tax money at work st jonersss
January 25th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
I remember it well lol……..
January 28th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Nice vid. You’re screwed if you live in the US Midwest. Unless you have a relative with a tractor and plow, you’re screwed.
January 30th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
interrestion video! thanks for sharring.
February 2nd, 2009 at 1:24 am
In Newfoundland, blue and amber (yellow) are used for caution/warning lights. Police use blue/red/white, and fire/medics use red/amber/white. Green and amber are used by some media “PR” vehicles, and private security companies use red and amber.
February 4th, 2009 at 1:28 am
Why blue strobes?i never heard of them useing blue. ive seen dumptrucks with green andsome blue but whats up with it? thanks Great video
February 5th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Yes, they do use an AVL system, and it’s quite accurate too. The plow goes past your house exactly when it’s passing your house on the screen.
I think the main problem is a combination of new drivers and city growth.
February 7th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
I find the snow plowing has never been worse since they’ve claimed to have all their plows rigged with GPS.