Even though winter isn’t over yet, Ontario is already dealing with a road salt shortage that’s leading some cities to change their plans or ration supplies.
Cities are quickly using up their salt reserves to keep roads and sidewalks safe due to an early winter start and more severe weather events.
Doug Godfrey, general manager of city operations, stated that Guelph typically sees about 40 millimeters of rain and 10 centimeters of snow in November and December.
However, “Guelph has experienced above-average levels of precipitation, with November and December receiving 104 millimetres of rain and 30 centimetres of snow,” Godfrey said in a statement.
To help stretch their salt supply, they’re using more sand or a combination of sand and road salt.
We’re running at full capacity and we’ve got crews running seven days a week.- Syed Kazmi, Goderich Salt Mine, VP of operations
Perth County mentioned it has also had issues getting salt deliveries to its storage yards, requiring plow operators to adjust how they treat the roads.
“Currently, county storage facilities are being replenished with road salt, but supply is still slow,” Sarah Franklin, a Perth County spokesperson, told .
Kitchener also reported having “experienced lower-than-expected salt supply” this winter and its crews are following best practices for conserving salt.
“This includes providing salt management training for our roads team, weather monitoring and substantial plowing efforts prior to salting or sanding,” the city said in a statement.
Despite the shortage, the city added that it has enough salt for future use.
WATCH | Ontario is dealing with a road salt shortage with weeks left in winter:
Ontario faces road salt shortage – and it’s only January
Ontario’s road salt supply is already under strain because of higher-than-usual levels of precipitation and snowfall throughout the province. The mine in Goderich says it’s operating at full capacity but demand is so high that some municipalities have had to ration their supplies.
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On Nov. 9 , Kitchener saw record-breaking snowfall at 14 centimeters , surpassing previous records set back in both 1921 (10.2 centimeters) as well as equaled again in 1933. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
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Ontario faces road salt shortage – and it’s only January
Ontario’s road salt supply is already under strain because of higher-than-usual levels of precipitation and snowfall throughout the province. The mine in Goderich says it’s operating at full capacity but demand is so high that some municipalities have had to ration their supplies.
Goderich mine crews work round the clock
The demand for road salt has surged so much that one of the largest underground mines in the world located in Goderich below Lake Huron says it can’t keep up despite running full crews around-the-clock even during holidays. “It’s the high demand that’s causing a lot more noise around than really what the capabilities are at Goderich mine.. because we’re running at full capacity and we’ve got crews running seven days a week,” Syed Kazmi, vice-president of operations at Goderich Salt Mine, which is owned by Compass Minerals, told . “So when you get a high demand within weeks instead of spread out over a couple of months, that’s what we’re seeing now.” The shortages mean suppliers across the province must prioritize municipalities first; thus those working with private contractors have had to look out-of-province for their supplies from places like Quebec. “We’re just doing everything we can to try to get as much supply as possible,” Christoper Arnts from Arnts the Landscape Supplier Inc. in Whitby told . “There’s just been a huge increase in the need for salt.” Arnts mentioned it costs thousands to source salt from outside Ontario which means consumers will end up paying more overall. “That cost has to be passed along,” he said.Wetter conditions for most of southern Ontario
Environment and Climate Change Canada notes much area within Ontario has encountered wetter , snowier conditions overall. Trudy Kidd , meteorologist with Environment Canada , informed me via an interview on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) regarding how southwestern regions have received more than normal amounts this winter. “With climate change , we have warmer atmosphere ; therefore allowing us greater moisture retention ,” Kidd continued saying. “When you find increased moisture presence , odds increase dramatically towards heavy-impact events.” Environment Canada meteorologist Rob Kuhn shared online about Kitchener’s new record established on November ninth-snowfall hit fourteen cm! This broke records previously held since nineteen twenty-one & matched later years during nineteen thirty-three! Kidd went on explaining December temperatures were also lower than usual.”This past December was definitely colder than normal across Ontario,” she remarked while noting unusual precipitation patterns observed throughout different regions here too!Source link
