Clear the path: Dal's snow removal crew on demand

When brisk winter chills fill the air and the snow starts flying, Dal’s Facilities Management team to braves the cold and steps out in their snow gear with shovels in tow.

Often working around the clock, the grounds services crew’s efforts help people of all abilities safely access the university’s campus buildings. And with 79 acres to maintain on Dal’s three Halifax campuses alone, it can be a daunting task — especially in a month like this February that saw nearly 150 centimetres of the white stuff fall on Halifax.

Staying on top of winter maintenance on campus begins with being organised and adequately prepared, says Mike Wilkinson, Dal’s environmental services manager, who oversees snow and ice removal on the Halifax campuses.

"We try to stay ahead of it and be as prepared as much as we can. Obviously with weather, you never know what exactly you're going to get,” he says.

Behind the scenes, Wilkinson maintains the supplies his team uses, which includes shovels, salt, snow blowers and a 4x4 vehicle, routinely making sure everything is on hand, serviced and ready to go in case of a big storm.

Cleaning up

Wilkinson says cleanup after a major storm can be tough and physically demanding, which is why it helps that the Dal community has been so supportive, understanding and appreciative.

“That goes a long way,” he says. “It makes the staff members out there shovelling feel better about the daunting task in front of them.”

Clearing snow and ice pileup from step areas, accessibility ramps, walkways and emergency doorways is prioritized during the winter season, with those tasks typically done by hand shovelling or with snow blowers.

To tackle snow-covered roadways and large parking lots, machinery such as skid steers, loaders and trucks are brought out to help with the ploughing. Dal receives additional help from a contracted snow removal company.

While the university aims to have most of the snow hauling and de-icing completed before classes begin at 8:30 am, occasionally there are delays.  Wilkinson says safety is top of mind and decisions need to balance the safety of those who live, study or work on campus, while also considering the risks for the grounds services crew to commute to work through snowy conditions, sometimes before daylight breaks.

In Truro, snow removal on the Agricultural Campus is done by in-house teams. One crew of five is responsible for snow removal on walkways and building entrances, while another four-person team looks after roadways and parking lots. Tractors and trucks are mounted with blades, snow blowers and salt/sand spreaders to keep the snow and ice at bay.

An unpredictable task

Wilkinson admits snow removal a labour-intensive task, not to mention unpredictable at times. He chuckles as he recalls the punishing winter of 2015.

“In February, there was the big ice storm and then after we got that all cleaned up, we thought that would be the end of that,” he says. “But then March hit us and we got a great big dump of snow, so that was the winter that never ended.”

The possibility that this winter could match the one of 2015 remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure — Dal is well equipped for all kinds of weather that may be thrown its way.

“We’ve got a really good team of people,” he says. “And when we are able to achieve what we set out to do…when we get those things right and we see good results and get good feedback, that is very rewarding.”

President Florizone and Facilities Management leadership meets with the Grounds team. (Photo from @dalpres.)