The falling snow may be white but it might as well be green in the eyes of cities and municipalities across the province.
The continued snowfalls throughout the winter are making a big dent in the snow removal budget of the City of Estevan and other communities.
In an interview Monday, Mayor Roy Ludwig said an estimate from a few years ago was that one large snowfall cost the city roughly $80,000 on average. He admitted that because those figures are a few years old, the total is likely higher.
As for the repeated snowfalls, Ludwig said they have presented a challenge to City staff.
"Our people are working hard and we will be working to finish off the residential areas in the various sectors of the city. We'll get that done and if we avoid more big snowfalls, we should be caught up."
When asked if he has been pleased with the speed in which City employees and contractors have cleared the streets, Ludwig admitted their progress has been slower than he would like to see.
"We have been slow," he said. "We have a few people on holidays and a few sicknesses. We appreciate the patience of the citizens of Estevan and I would like to thank them for that and hopefully now that most of our people are back from holidays, we can move forward."
Ludwig added the City is also continually watching to see where they can improve their service and policies.
"We are always in touch in with the other cities and we strive to use best practices at all times to gain efficiency. In these times, that is a must."
