A lot of white uses a lot of green.
As Regina residents dig themselves out from the winter's biggest blizzard, it's clear the price of Friday's storm won't be brushed off so easily.
Shane Simpson, spokesman with the City of Regina, estimates the city spent about $160,000 over the weekend as the costs of equipment, materials and manpower to clear and sand city streets continued to pile up.
Running a single grader and operator costs about $100 an hour, and the city's machines have been running about 22 hours a day. Simpson says he doesn't yet know how much the storm will cost in total, but says the city will have to rent some equipment from private companies, and the work to clear and move all the snow will last for at least three weeks.
The city's snow removal budget is usually about $2.3 million a year and takes into account a few special circumstances, like blizzards. Nonetheless, Simpson says this one will be a challenge.
"This storm is kind of unique. Usually a storm will hit one side of the city harder than other areas, with wind and so on, but this one went city-wide pretty hard," he said, adding: "We're going to be removing snow for quite a while."
Pamela Bishop, director of communications for the Department of Highways, says the province will likely spend $500,000 cleaning up Saskatchewan's highways after the storm.
Last year, the provincial government spent a total of $20 million on winter road maintenance.
But while the costs add up for government, some businesses banked on a flurry of activity over the weekend.
At City Bobcat Services, a private snow removal company, Tanice Lunn says things have been "busy, busy, busy" as the owners and staff work around the clock to get their customers' property cleared as quickly as possible.
"We had 35 phone calls before noon on Saturday, but we just couldn't take them on, we're so busy," she said. "But it's either feast or famine in this business, so you've got to go when you can."
At the CAT Gallery, salesperson Bruce Holowaty says he was "elated" when the snow started to fall. Sled sales increased over the weekend and will likely continue to pick up speed in the coming days, he said.
"I expect people to be out in droves. To have this much snow around Regina is great."
TORO snowblower dealer Morley Gusway said business was booming at Regina Rent-it Centre as well as people scrambled to buy, rent and repair snowblowers in the aftermath of the blizzard.
"We had a hectic day, there was at least 25 people in the building at all times. It's good for the business," Gusway said, adding he sold at least seven snowblowers on Saturday alone.
TORO snowblowers sell from about $700 to $2,000.
"It's been wonderful, when you don't get any snow you don't sell any snowblowers," he said. "People don't buy snowblowers in November with a little sprinkle of snow, but all of a sudden you get that thing and everybody's running."
After occasional flurries Sunday night and early today, Environment Canada predicts a clearing trend that will mean sunny skies and rising temperatures as the week goes on. By Friday, Regina could see highs of about -15, which is still lower than the average of -9.
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