P.A. residents break a sweat shovelling

“I like all seasons, it’s what makes life so interesting, you have a variety,” said Bandet. “Winter although sometimes it’s cold and harsh we still have to endure it in order to appreciate the rest of the seasons.”

Bandet said this year the snowfall was late, after last year’s snow fall on October 15th.

Ben Hladun said taking half an hour to shovel his sidewalk and driveway doesn’t bother him.

“Being retired anyway I don’t have to rush to work and it’s a nice snowfall, easy to shovel because it hasn’t been packed down yet by the cars or stuff like that,” he said.

Hlandun said shovelling on his own isn’t all that difficult if you do it before it builds up.

“Other years I leave it too long when its gets to three or four inches of hard packed on the driveway and then you have to do that ice picker and that sort of stuff and chip it up bit by bit and that’s a real pain,” he said.

Not everyone was as chipper about the recent dump of snow.

Chuck Pelletier prefers summer and gives winter and shovelling a big thumbs down.

“This is hard work,” said Pelletier. “I got a snow blower if it gets bad but I thought I needed the exercise today.”

Pelletier said he didn’t expect all this snow to fall overnight.

“It was quite a surprise actually when I got up and so much and so soon and it’s so heavy,” Pelletier said.

Despite proactive drivers, mad rush for winter tires slams P.A. garages

Although the sky has cleared up for Monday morning’s heavy snowfall, garages that services winter tires are still in a mad dash.

Colin Fraser, owner and operator OK Tire and Auto Service said they’re booked up until next week with people who need winter tires put on their vehicles.

This trend isn’t new to Fraser. He said he sees the mad dash for winter tires every year and because of the winter tire season, it makes it the busiest time for the store.

“More and more people are seeing the value in putting winter tires on their vehicles and the safety and not getting stuck, especially for stopping. When you get these kind of conditions especially it gets very slick underneath that snow and underneath that water and it gets easy to slide,” Fraser explained.

This year, he said, drivers are thinking in advance more about getting their tires changed.

“Normally people are a little bit more reactionary than they have been this year. This year people are being a little bit more proactive,” he said, which started last week when there was a little bit of snowfall around Prince Albert.

Despite some drivers being more proactive, Monday’s heavy snow still left Fraser’s staff “exceptionally” busy with the phone ringing off the hook.

Before noon they ran through 15 vehicles with another 30 to go by the end of the day.

Rick Erickson store manager of Kal Tire said they’re phone has also been ringing non-stop. He said when they opened the doors in the morning nine people were already nine people waiting outside.

“We did a lot of winter tires in October, which was nice. Today is an absolute gong show,” Erickson said, estimating they will make 40 to 50 winter tire changes by the day’s end.

Based on the weather, it was an unusual October for them, stating they’ve also seen more people coming in before the snow hits to get winter tires.

“I think people are just starting to become more proactive and realizing you don’t have to wait until there’s snow on the ground to do it and I’m sure every one of those people are very, very happy today,” he said with a chuckle.

If you have any winter photos please send them to our newsroom.

–With files from Sarah Wallace

Kbruch@panow.com

On Twitter : @princealbertnow

by Kayla Bruch

P.A. residents break a sweat shovelling

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