‘It was awesome’: Port Coquitlam’s mayor rides along in a snow plow

Port Coquitlam’s snow-clearing efforts have gone non-stop since late Wednesday night, as a rare winter storm brought heavy snow to the South Coast.

While many took in the winter wonderland from the warmth of their homes, the city’s mayor wanted a different view.

Brad West went on a ride-a-long with the city’s plow drivers overnight, riding shotgun and taking videos of some of the treacherous conditions drivers face.

“It was awesome from my perspective, just to see the skill involved,” Brad West told CityNews Thursday morning.

“You’ve got to have your wits about you, you’ve got to know what you’re doing.”

He says he learned a lot about the tricks for driving in snow from the professionals, as well as the challenges that their job holds.

Hitting north side PoCo! pic.twitter.com/jCSaOtKbc4

— Brad West (@BradWestPoCo) January 6, 2022

“There’s some pretty tight spots. You’ve got cars parked on either sides of the street. It’s just amazing to watch our drivers apply their craft and get the job done for our residents,” he said.

“They really display a lot of care and diligence about not wanting to chuck the snow onto someone’s driveway or if someone has just shoveled their driveway or sidewalks. They really go to great lengths to make sure they don’t throw the snow back,” he said.

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While it was a “very cool” experience, the mayor says the real reason to do the ride-a-long is because it makes for better decisions at the council table in terms of budgeting and other municipal decisions.

A lot of skill and care to navigate side streets with cars parked on both sides. pic.twitter.com/zNOVX1fNwL

— Brad West (@BradWestPoCo) January 6, 2022

West says it’s important for other mayors to put “themselves in the shoes of those who are actually doing the work.”

“To me it’s a really good reminder that this is one of the basic responsibilities of the municipality. This is one of the things that the city is actually responsible for,” he added.

While West’s “graveyard shift” has ended, he says crews will continue tirelessly with snow clearing services Thursday. With most major routes done, crews will be moving onto those secondary routes in the hours ahead.

While there have been clashes between plows and drivers in the past, the mayor says they didn’t run in to any issues.

“Everyone was really good today. It must be something about the people Port Coquitlam, pretty special, good patient folks.”

With files from Dean Recksiedler