Workers use blowers like this one to help collect rocks and sand spread for traction during the winter.
It's a springtime tradition! Over the next two to three weeks, Landscape Services staff will be diligently cleaning up remaining winter debris on campus, including small rocks and sand spread in order to increase traction and avoid slips on ice and snow.
High-traffic areas on North Campus, such as the bus loop, main quad, engineering quad, and major walkways will be done first - essentially, working from the core of campus outwards. Much of this work happens when folks are arriving on campus in the morning because we want to respect students in residence and the municipal noise bylaw, which means machinery can't be running too early in the morning or late at night.
We try our best to limit the dust, but it cannot always be avoided. Please bear with us and be aware that workers might not be able to see you approaching, so please be patient and try to give them a wide berth.
The process begins with staff using backpack blowers to get as much debris out of the grass, shrubs and plant beds as possible. The rocks and sand are blown onto the sidewalks and roadways, where water is applied to them and they're removed with machinery.
In an effort to be sustainable, a portion of the rocks are reused the following winter, and the rest are put on some of the roads on South Campus or stockpiled for other use.
If you have any questions or concerns about the process, please contact Tom McLean, manager of Landscape Services, at tm18@ualberta.ca or 780-492-2407.