Nearly 20 people met in the Argo yard in Clearwater on Oct. 15 for the annual winter awareness meeting with stakeholders.
Those present included representatives from Argo Road Maintenance, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, RCMP, BC Parks, District of Clearwater, School District 73, Borrow Enterprises, tow companies, and traffic control companies.
Purpose of the meeting was to prepare for winter, discus any winter concerns and familiarize each other with any new faces, said Argo general manager Harvey Nelson.
Harvey noted that, although last winter was quiet and not too cold, the freeze-thaw cycle meant that Argo' salt and sand usage was the highest since the winter of 1996/1997.
Winter shift started on Oct. 14 and will end on March 15, said Justin van Iterson, Argo operations manager.
Winter shift provides 24 hours per day, seven days per week coverage.
Half a dozen Argo trucks have new electronics for materials spreading. Drivers, at their discretion, will be allowed to turn off their spinners when meeting other vehicles.
There will be no recoveries during snowstorms if the vehicle is off the road and the site is clean. Instead, the vehicle will be tagged with yellow caution “All Clear” tape. It will be recovered when safe to do so, usually after the storm.
Using “All Clear” tape has cut down on the number of duplicate callouts.
Vandalism and fuel theft continues to be a problem at some Argo yards.
People are asked to keep their eyes open and to report any suspicious activities.