Professional Confessional: Snow & Ice Management

“We're going as fast as we can! Everyone wants to be your first stop. It's an incredibly labour intensive job and we want nothing more than to get the job done promptly.”
- Michelle

“I wish people (general public and property management professionals) knew that every snow and ice event is unique. There is no 'one' solution for everything.”
- Carm

“I wish that the general public would better understand that parking lots and sidewalks can not be 100 per cent clear at all times during a snow or ice event. Our crews work relentlessly in tough conditions for long hours to keep customers' properties as safe as possible but, without fail, some people will complain about even a minor accumulation of snow. The snow business is extremely capital intensive with insurance, fuel, equipment and wages. Even in low snow seasons the majority of expenses are still there. My hat is off to all the professional snow and ice fighters out there. It takes a special breed of person to do the type of work we do. It is a rewarding living and a great team building business.”
- Mike

“I’d like my clients to understand that they are not paying me to push snow. They are paying me to ensure their business is open, they are paying me to keep their clients, staff and the general public safe. My price is based on many factors including
the rising costs of labour and equipment. When you hire a professional you are ensuring you are getting someone that is trained, has insurance and the proper equipment. You can not treat all quotes the same, as it is not always apples to apples. When you hire a licensed snowfighter, you are buying an insurance policy against the snow. We will keep you open and keep you safe.”
- Jeremy

“Allocate spots for snow, design buildings with an allocation for snow storage, realize there is a service window — it isn’t immediate, that you pay based on the level of service, it's not 24-hour monitoring on site unless you pay for that! It’s an emergency event, please stop trying to sue for slip and fall. If you can’t walk in a tornado, why do you think you're going to be ok with ice/snow on the ground? Snow removal operators are not magical fairies who can prevent a slip and fall. We help reduce it — that’s the best we can do.”
- Kerri

“Some properties need to be hand shoveled, and sometimes people get upset when it's not done first thing in the morning. I wish people would realize that a lot of snow removal companies are short staffed and we're always looking for more people. And you're not the only property we have to get to. I think last year we had nine properties on our route. We had our order, but sometimes we don't get there as fast as we want to. And it's the same with the city plows. You always have multiple properties to go to. You always have multiple people to care for. And it just takes time.”
- Lexi