City of Barrie reports one of the worst pothole season yet
As the temperature rises in Barrie, so does the return of an annual nuisance, pothole season.
The unseasonably mild weather this February has motorists once again grappling with the aftermath of freeze-thaw cycles wreaking havoc on the roads.
"I try to avoid it, but it's hard. I try, and if you're holding a coffee, it's really all over the place," said Barrie resident Pearl Chow.
The City of Barrie reminds drivers that the roller coaster weather conditions this winter has created the perfect receipt for potholes.
City crews are out this week, filling in as many as they can.
"We usually get told to load up and go on a seek and destroy mission to try and find all the potholes," says road crew worker Christian Dean.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
The City uses a hot and cold mix to fill the holes.
Crews work to fill potholes on a street in Barrie, Ont., on Thurs., Feb. 22, 2024. (CTV News/Rob Cooper)
"We're busy. We have two crews out during the day time, and they're putting down about a ton of asphalt replacement every time they go out, and then during the evenings, we've got two or three crews going out as well doing the same thing," says Craig Morton with the City of Barrie.
Last year, the City filled just over 12,000 potholes, and that number could rise by the end of this year.
Tire repair shops have been flooded with people reporting bent or damaged rims and tires.
"Pretty much every day we will get a rim repair in," says Chantelle Vroom with Superior Tire and Auto in Barrie.
Residents can notify the City of Barrie about street potholes online or by calling Service Barrie.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian former Olympic snowboarder wanted in Ontario double homicide: DOJ
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 'innocent' couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Ontario school board trustees under fire for $100K religious art purchase on Italy trip
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
A photographer snorkeled for hours to take this picture
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Tobacco giants would pay out $32.5 billion to provinces, smokers in proposed deal
Three tobacco giants are proposing to pay close to $25 billion to provinces and territories and more than $4 billion to some 100,000 Quebec smokers and their loved ones as part of a corporate restructuring process triggered by a long-running legal battle.
More Trudeau cabinet ministers not running for re-election, sources say shuffle expected soon
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell CTV News at least one other, Marie-Claude Bibeau, doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
Robert Pickton's handwritten book seized after his death in hopes of uncovering new evidence
A handwritten book was seized from B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton's prison cell following his death earlier this year, raising hopes of uncovering new evidence in a series of unprosecuted murders.
Former members of One Direction say they're 'completely devastated' by Liam Payne's death
The former members of English boy band One Direction reacted publicly to the sudden death of their bandmate, Liam Payne, for the first time on Thursday, saying in a joint statement that they're 'completely devastated.'
Israel says it has killed top Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar in Gaza
Israeli forces in Gaza killed top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel's most wanted man.
Indian government employee charged in foiled murder-for-hire plot in New York City
The U.S. Justice Department announced criminal charges Thursday against an Indian government employee in connection with a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.