Braving Waterloo Region’s worst wintery roads
The weather turns nasty. Thick snow and violent winds fill the air. Freezing rain turns pavement into a skating rink.
Most of us hunker down on a warm couch. But that’s not an option for the Region of Waterloo’s snow plow operators. These skilled drivers work in the worst road conditions, making travel safer for everyone who relies on those roads.
Meet Kandace, one of our plow operators. In whiteout conditions, her adrenaline is high. Her job takes precision, and driving these 27-ton machines is a big responsibility. Kandace tells us why she does it and what it’s like being on the roads when you can’t see.
Did you know?
- We have 15 snow plows that hit the road in bad weather.
- The Region is responsible to clear 440 total lane kilometres of road (a lane kilometre refers to a travelled lane. For example, a five kilometre stretch of two lane road has 10 lane kilometres).
- The Region is responsible for winter maintenance on regional roads. Other local roads are plowed by the cities and townships.
- Kandace’s official job title is “Roads Maintainer.” When there’s no snow, this Region team drives tractors, loaders and other big equipment.
- Region of Waterloo staff also install 15 kilometres of snow fence each fall to help protect roads from blowing snow.
We hope you enjoyed meeting Kandace. The Region of Waterloo may be a large organization, but within it are thousands of people working to support their neighbours. This is part of a “Here For You” series to introduce you to the many faces and roles at the Region who are working to deliver programs and services you rely on every day.
Follow the Region’s social media accounts (X, Facebook and Instagram) to meet more of these employees. You can even ask questions and get answers from these folks as we go!
Meet the first person in our “Here For You” series: Will the arborist.
And our second feature: Michelle the Public Health Inspector.
