Remember that old TV show, Have Gun, Will Travel? Well, how about a reality TV show called Have Snow? We'll Shovel! Well, there's no such show in production but that is the kind of service Bob Walker of Revelstoke Tree Care is offering as the City and other building owners try to remove snow from over-loaded roofs Here, Walker and his crew clear snow from the roof of the Visual Arts Centre on Wilson Street. David F. Rooney photo
By David F. Rooney
Remember that old TV show, Have Gun, Will Travel? Well, how about a reality TV show called Have Snow? We’ll Shovel! Well, there’s no such show in production but that is the kind of service Bob Walker of Revelstoke Tree Care is offering as the City and other building owners try to remove snow from over-loaded roofs.
In the past couple of weeks, Walker and his crew of up to 12 men and women have cleared snow off the roof of the historic Court House, the RCMP detachment, the Red Maple condos on Front Street, the Forum, Selkirk Gardens and now the Visual Arts Centre, which had closed its doors to members and users because of roof-related safety concerns.
“It’ll take us a couple of days to clear,” Walker said as he surveyed the expanse of deep, compacted snow on top of The Centre.
Walker is not alone in trying to clear snow from the tops of buildings with large, flat roofs as well as houses across town. Workers this week have been busy clearing snow from the tops of the Community and Aquatic Centre, the Royal LePage building at Second Street East and Mackenzie as well as the Fire Hall. Homeowners, too, have been pushing snow off their roofs. There have been about 10 roof collapses around town in the past month. Most have been carport collapses, but some have been industrial, too. A shed, built in 1995, collapsed at Downie Street Sawmills last weekend and part of the Bottle Depot collapsed last week, too. So far, no one has been injured by any of these events.
Here are photos of the various snow-clearance efforts underway around town, beginning with Walker’s own work at the Visual Arts Centre:
You can't even see the sign for the snow at the Visual Arts Centre. The roof is known to be weak and with all of the snow on top no one has been allowed inside the building for days. Walker's snow clearance should make it safe for people to use the building by Monday. David F. Rooney photoWalker's crew begins snow clearing on top of the Visual Arts Centre. The job, begun Friday, was expected to take two days. David F. Rooney photoA closer view of the crew at work. David F. Rooney photoOscar Darle from Karstadt, Sweden, is a member of Walker's crew. Here's cuts long lines in the snow pack. David F. Rooney photoMarylou Duquette shovels snow off the roof as Walker talks on his cell. David F. Rooney photoDuquette uses her scoop to break off a large chunk of snow from the row of snow cut by Darle. David F. Rooney photoDuquette deftly maneuvers her chunk around. David F. Rooney photoThen she pushes it off the roof. David F. Rooney photoHard at work, there's lot of snow to clear. David F. Rooney photoWorkers clear snow from atop the Revelstoke Community Centre. David F. Rooney photoWalker's crew isn't the only one in town. Here, workers begin clearing snow from the Royal LePage building. David F. Rooney photoAnd, down town, fire fighters clear snow from the roof of the Fire Hall. Photo courtesy of Fire Rescue Services Chief Rob GirardYet another collapse last week: this time a quonset hut at the end of Laforme Boulevard near the Golf Club. David F. Rooney photo
