City makes great progress in clearing communities of tree debris

Calgary, AB – City crews and partners working seven days a week have made tremendous progress clearing Calgary communities of tree debris left behind by the September snow storm. To date, more than 70 communities have been cleared of debris representing 30 per cent of Calgary. Over 12 million kilograms of wood has been taken to landfills for mulching, or the equivalent of 18,400 loads.

“We’ve been focusing on Calgary’s hardest hit communities with the heaviest and greatest volume of tree debris. Crews will likely make one complete pass by mid-October to pick up all tree debris on the ground from these communities,” says Nico Bernard, manager of The City’s Tactical Operations Centre. “Crews will then focus on Calgary’s remaining communities, and will make one complete pass by mid-November.”

Bernard says that a ‘complete pass’ through a community consists of two crews. The initial crew cuts debris into manageable sizes and stacks it neatly into piles for pick up by the second crew.

Citizens are asked to move their vehicles off the street and from back alleys where possible in targeted communities to allow crews easy access. Citizens with tree debris in their private yards are encouraged to stack their debris as close to the edge of their property without impeding roads, pathways or sidewalks to allow for a complete pick-up of community debris in one pass.

“To utilize all available equipment, crews with pick-up trucks are also roaming smaller-treed communities to pick up storm-related debris,” says Bernard. “If citizens miss crews working in their community, the fastest way to get rid of your tree debris is to take it to the landfill, or to one of The City’s 32 Leaf & Pumpkin drop-off locations.”

Bernard says The City’s landfills have been operating extended hours since the storm, but drop-off rates after 5:00 p.m. have slowed considerably. Accordingly, as of Monday, Oct. 6, all City landfills will accept tree debris free of charge during normal hours of operation from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

“Calgarians have been extremely helpful moving their cars when they see crews working in their communities. They’ve also been helping crews by taking their regular pruning to the landfill,” says Bernard. “We’re pleased with how Calgary has pulled together to deal with the aftermath of the storm, and we thank them for their assistance and ongoing patience as we work hard to fully recover from the storm.”

For more information on tree debris pick up, please visit Calgary.ca.

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