Durham College and UOIT is getting ready for winter by ordering up on salt.
According to Suzanne Chasse, the college and university’s manager, facility services, the schools are in talks with its contractor–OGS–to stock up on salt, because of the salt shortage last year.
“(The salt is to) try and help with any salt shortage issues that may arise,” Chasse says.
This year’s winter is expected to be colder and snowier then last year, according to The Farmer’s Almanac.
Chasse and OGS officials did a walkthrough of the campus to look for areas that need special attention.
She says certain people have special needs, so she wants to try and accommodate them to get to the building in the winter.
There are some walkways that need special attention, such as by the Simcoe Village and the Campus Ice Centre, which connects to the tennis dome, Chasse adds.
Snow removed from the parking lots and sidewalks is taken to a dumpsite on the north end of the campus, Chasse says.
The college and university start to prepare for winter in July and August, according to Chasse.
She says the contractors need time to prepare.
“Because of the size of the campus and it’s including Whitby campus and the downtown campus for the university they (OGS) have to get the proper equipment,” Chasse says. “If they don’t currently have it, then they would acquire new equipment or what not.”
She adds some of the equipment used is large snowplows to the bobcats for the sidewalks.
There is nothing really OGS can do to prepare for a good or bad winter, but she is very confident in the contractors to get the job done.
