County snow plowing ‘best I’ve ever seen’; new contract awarded

Council has awarded another snow plowing contract to QBT Excavating Services, of Brighton, for a three-year term with two one-year extensions.

Councillor Pennell was one of several who praised the plowing excellence this season, by the company and the County. The tender covers five designated plow routes within the County’s winter-maintained road network. The remainder are completed in-house by the municipality’s Operational Services department.

“Last week in particular, there was one bad day weather-wise, and my daughter drove to Belleville and had another appointment in Trenton. After that, she said of all the roads she drove, Prince Edward County’s were the best,” said Pennell. “And from what I have seen overall it’s been just fantastic how the roads have been kept this year… The best I’ve ever seen.”

QBT’s was the lowest bid at $597,800 plus HST. The $608,321.28 reflects the non-refundable portion of HST – well under the council-approved budget of $671,726.73.

The multi-year agreement starting Nov. 15, 2026, and ending April 15, 2029, follows an eight-year agreement with the company for 2018-26. In that agreement, the cost was estimated at just over $704,000 year.

In 2018 council asked staff about moving toward doing the work with its own trucks and drivers, however, staff note in Tuesday night’s report for council that the work is delivered through a combination of County equipment and staff, as well as contracted services, due to the scale, geographic extent, and time-sensitive nature to ensure consistent coverage and regulatory compliance.

“The County does not currently have sufficient equipment, staffing resources, or operational capacity to maintain all winter highway maintenance activities without contracted support,” stated Jeff Bryans, manager of infrastructure, in his report.

His report explained the scope of work includes snow plowing, sanding, salting, and the use of pre-wetting technology for salt application.

“Pre-wetting improves the effectiveness of salt application, thereby enhancing roadway safety, and supports council’s interest in the use of brine and salt-reduction practices,” he noted in his report.

The County is required to provide winter highway maintenance across approximately 995 kilometers of year-round roadway. This includes snow plowing, ice control, and related standby and emergency response services necessary to meet legislated service levels.

The County’s total winter maintenance budget for 2026 is $2,642,424.99. Expenditures are monitored regularly – especially given frequent storm events this winter. An update to the budget is expected in spring. The budget is based on the calendar year, not the season.