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Uncommonly cold winter has Vancouver fire halls offering residents free salt

Jan 3, 2017 | 5:18 PM

Vancouver is offering its residents buckets of free road salt thanks to uncharacteristically cold and snowy winter weather, which has made some sidewalks and streets in the usually temperate city treacherously icy.

Jerry Dobrovolny, general manager for engineering services, says 10 fire halls will have de-icing salt available starting Wednesday for residents who can’t find any at local stores.

The city has already gone through 7,000 tonnes of salt, which is seven times the average amount used in each of the last two years.

Dobrovolny says snow removal cost the city $2.5 million last month.