The Municipality of Jasper will be responsible for plowing snow and de-icing roads in town this winter. The task had previously been contracted out to Parks Canada.

The Town has purchased a $165,000 front end loader that will do the bulk of the snow clearing work. The new model Volvo, outfitted with buckets and reverse plow, will be complimented by the municipality’s plow truck for removal and the spreading of abrasive substances on the roads. The Town will continue to purchase sand and salt from Parks until such time that they have the infrastructure to store their own stockpiles appropriately.

Don Pickle, public works manager for the Town, was unable to provide curious councillors with an estimation of how long it might take to clear snow from town in the case of an “average” snow storm.

“It’s difficult to give a fair estimate,” he said. “We’ll start to have a better idea after the first couple of snowfalls.”

Pickle did predict that the snow clearing process would be faster with the Town in charge.

“We will get first preferences...we don’t have to wait for Parks priorities to get done first.”

Town Manager George Krefting emphasized the fact that the new town guidelines for snow removal were superior in comparison to Parks. If the required times for clearing the roads are not adhered to, Krefting encouraged Jasperites to inform the Municipality.

“If people feel we are not meeting the standard, then...we’d like to hear about it,” he said.

A stinky situation

The Town of Jasper is having a hard time getting smokers outside the Activity Centre to comply with a municipal policy that prohibits smoking outside the front entrance and between the Jasper Jr./Sr. High and the centre.

The issue has a lot to do with town employees inability to enforce the ban, according to  George Krefting. Because the prohibition is a policy and not a bylaw, smokers who violate the restriction can’t be ticketed by the bylaw officers.

No smoking signs and cigarette butt receptacles outside the banned area have been vandalised, Krefting told Council. Staff have also been subjected to verbal abuse when they have tried to remedy the situation with personal contact, he said.

The current smoking bylaw may be applied to areas under a roof or contained within outdoor walls, according to Verne Balding, communications manager for the Town.

Balding suggested a minor amendment so that the smoking ban be extended to “whatever physical area that council chooses to define.”

This area would have to be narrowly defined, including lot and block numbers, so that the amendment could not be interpreted to cover smoking on other municipal properties, such as public sidewalks, Balding said.