We had to say goodbye to fall quickly this week as flurries turned into a full dump of snow.
Temperatures are quickly dropping and the southern portion of the province has already dealt with icy and poor road conditions.
Due to the weather, there were several reports of minor collisions on the QEII through Airdrie, a blocked road in Rocky View County due to a jack-knifed semi trailer, and a school bus rollover north of Rocky View County.
The Rocky View Schools division confirmed that several students on board the school bus were from George McDougall School in Airdrie on a field trip to Olds.
There were 12 people on the school bus and six were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
It seems the first major snowfall always creates some havoc on the roads in Alberta, and this year was an example of just that.
On Oct. 23, RCMP officers across the province responded to over 277 collisions in relation to the poor weather conditions.
In response, Alberta RCMP put out a notice to remind drivers about driver safety. That includes preparing vehicles for winter, packing emergency kits, learning winter driving techniques, checking road conditions, removing snow from vehicles, giving yourself extra travel time, travelling with a fully charged cell phone, and slowing down on the roads with your seatbelt on.
Aside from the roads, the winter weather also means residents are obligated to clear snow around their properties for safety purposes.
In Airdrie, property owners have 24 hours once the snow stops to clear the sidewalks around their property, and most municipalities have similar bylaws.
It’s up to residents to find out what the snow clearing bylaws are and do their part in keeping the community safe for everyone. If not, residents may face a fine.
While we all have a responsibility to clear our sidewalks, remember to help those out that aren’t as mobile to clear their walks. It’s easy to file a complaint, but a neighbourly move to help shovel someone else’s sidewalk is a much better way to make it through the upcoming snowy months.
