Late start to winter could help city budget

THUNDER BAY -- A late winter could mean good things for the city's budget.

The past two harsh winters have hammered the city's winter control costs as its had to plow, salt and sand out of more storms than usual.

Last year by this time there were already two major snowfalls that sent city crews out, at around $20,000 each time.

So far this year though, roads manager Brad Adams said crews have only been out once and that was for some very minor work, along with a minimal amount of salt and sanding.

If the mild weather holds, which because of El Niño is a good possibility, Adams said the city could have some good news for once when it comes to winter costs. Of course, Mother Nature could change that any moment.

"I don't want to predict anything but it looks like we could have a surplus in our winter accounts," he said.

The mild weather has allowed the city to do other roadwork like shoulders late into the season, a rarity Adams said. Rain and an unusual amount of freezing and thawing on roads have several crews on both sides of the city filling in pot holes.