Will we have enough salt to survive another snowfall? Well, it turns out some of the Lower Mainland’s main salt suppliers…are out of the good stuff.
Multiple private contractors across Metro Vancouver say they won’t have access to salt until mid-January when the next shipment arrives.
That’s because suppliers must save the remaining inventory for the cities – as specified in their contract.
With temperatures expected to remain close to the freezing mark, Global News Meteorologist Yvonne Schalle says there’s potential for snow.
Contractors say they will struggle to keep up with demand as they are in charge of salting hospitals, fire halls and mall parking lots.
The City of Surrey has 6,000 tons of salt reserved for them, but during the first two snowfalls of the season – the city used 5,000 tons.
Meanwhile, the City of Vancouver has been using a mix of salt and sand, but it’s unclear if that’s due to a shortage.
During the last snow storm, the City of Vancouver told CKNW they used 2,000 tons – double from the year before.