Street sweepers playing catch-up after Barrie’s early winter

Spring street sweeping is shown in this undated file image.

The City of Barrie says it could be extending its spring street sweeping program, with crews still working to clear debris left from last fall.

Sweepers are running both day and afternoon shifts as staff work to catch up on areas that couldn’t be tackled before the harsh and early winter arrived.

“Due to the quick start to winter, which included early snow and below-freezing temperatures, we did not fully complete our fall sweeping program,” says Dave Friary, director of operations for the City of Barrie. “With the amount of snow and the number of winter events, we did use more sand and the salt shortage compounded the issue.”

Under normal spring conditions, the city says sweeping operations should wrap up by the end of May, typically within an 8-10 week window.

Officials say cleanup could stretch a couple of weeks beyond that, depending on Mother Nature’s unpredictable plans and equipment availability.

Friary tells CTV News they are also navigating temperature swings that can slow down progress over the coming weeks. “We use water to keep the dust down to a minimum and when early morning temperatures are below freezing, we can be delayed,” continues Friary.

Residents can track serviced neighbourhoods through the city’s online map. The city is also asking drivers to avoid on-street parking so crews can move through zones efficiently.