A key piece of Castlegar’s ice and snow management equipment is out of service.
Operations manager Samuel Shine told city council Monday the calcium chloride truck was in a traffic accident last week.
It has been taken to a heavy-duty mechanic for assessment and an ICBC claim has been filed. The city is waiting to hear back on how long it will take to repair.
“We can then move forward with making a plan for winter operations,” Shine said.
It has been a rough year for the truck, which is also used for dust control and watering flowers. Much of the city’s floral display was inadvertently killed after the truck’s tank was not cleaned out before switching to watering duties.
The city says it typically applies calcium to top-priority areas before it snows because it acts as an anti-icing agent. They are looking at other options to get calcium on the roads.
Plowing and sanding operations will continue as needed. The forecast calls for snow Saturday night followed by clouds and above-freezing temperatures next week.