It is estimated that roughly 70 per cent of Barrie's streets had trees damaged or destroyed by last week's ice storm.
The clean-up continues and is expected to last several weeks as the "impacts from the storm are widespread."
Crews have assessed damaged trees and are working through streets, starting with the main roads.
"Your continued patience is appreciated," the city press release concluded.
Here's what residents need to know about the clean up process and "who does what":
- In priority/safety order, City crews will be clearing brush on boulevards resulting from damaged City-owned boulevard trees.
- For brush from private trees, yard waste collection occurs weekly from April through June and is accepted in bundles:
- no larger than 1.8m (6ft) in length
- no larger than 0.3m (1ft) in diameter
- no heavier than 20kg (45lbs) in weight
- with limbs no more than 10cm in diameter each (and bundled per above)
- Priority is being given to the most hazardous trees, ensuring that emergency services have access to the roads, and residents have access to their homes.
- Crews will not be starting cleanup in city parks until April 5th, when seasonal staff starts working.
- The cleanup is anticipated to take several weeks, as many trees that were damaged during the event will need to be scheduled for full removal.
- Tree branches collected by crews will be chipped and stockpiled at the Operations Centre. Some will be used for lining trails, gardens, or community planting projects while the rest will be used by the Environmental Centre for compost and their operations. All trees received at the landfill are incorporated into the composting process: ground and turned into compost.
- Replanting of city-owned trees destroyed by the storm will take place. Timing will be determined, and staff will not be making decisions on types of trees until the cleanup is complete.
