After a winter that left Timmins buried in snow, the city’s public works department says it’s better prepared for the season ahead. New equipment, additional contractors and a formal winter operations plan are among the changes. Last winter’s relentless snowfall put the city’s public works crews to the test and the financial impact is still being felt. “Our entire 2026 winter operations budget was spent at the end of May,” said Ken Krcel, director of public works. “So we’re predicting we need an additional $3 million to get to Jan. 1.” The city has said it has found a way to cover that projected shortfall, redirecting money from capital projects that weren’t ready to proceed. How much more winter maintenance will cost will depend on the weather through the end of the year, but officials said they’re ready, including a new sanding truck that will have a plow on the front. “Equipment’s ready to go. We do have some equipment that will be arriving as well that was procured over the last six months,” said Shane Skinner, manager of public works. Expanded contractor pool “All our contracts are out. We’ve increased some of our complement this year. We have a contract out for four graders that will be assisting us during heavier events.” The city has also expanded its pool of outside contractors to help when snowfall is heavy. “A lot more contractors have realized that they can sign on to the city resource list,” Skinner said. “We have new players this year that never signed up with us as available before. So we’re hoping to use them more frequently this winter if needed.” The city has also developed a formal winter operations plan, outlining how streets are prioritized. Major roads and bus routes come first, followed by secondary and residential streets. “We won’t forget about you. We’ll do our best to remove the snow,” Skinner said. In the meantime, the city is asking residents to put away outdoor basketball nets. Krcel said it’s one of the biggest issues when plowing, along with garbage bins left out after collection. “It’s very difficult to navigate around a basketball net with a large grader or plow truck,” he said. “And we really don’t want to damage anybody’s net.” The overnight parking ban takes effect Sunday, with no parking on city streets between 11:30 p.m. and 7:30 a.m.
