Mayor Matthew Shoemaker was bursting with praise tonight for Sault Ste. Marie's public works employees battling the recent record snowfalls.
"I know Friday and Saturday were particularly challenging days," the mayor said at the beginning of tonight's city council meeting.
"We are digging out, and our staff and all of our equipment has been at work around the clock since the snow started falling.
"The equipment has travelled roughly 40,000 kilometres over the last six days, which is enough to go around the entire Earth surface once."
Okay, that was stretching the truth, just a little.
The Earth's circumference is 40,075 kilometres.
That means our snow plows could have visited every home along the equator, with gas left over for one quick side trip to Pancake Bay Provincial Park.
But not to every place on the Earth's surface.
There's a lot more to this planet than the narrow strip around the equator.
"Since Tuesday of last week, really, we have had an inordinate amount of snow, record-breaking snowfall that the community has had, and I want to thank the good folks over at public works who have kept our city going," Shoemaker said.
"We have a great team that is doing a lot of work, and they are keeping the city moving.
"There will be some difficulties ahead as we scrape the roads down. There will be snow at the end of people's driveways.
"But there is just not the manpower and equipment power to clear it out so the end of driveways will be a challenge for folks over the coming days.
"We hope that people will understand as we continue to open up streets, widen them, to make sure that emergency services can continue to access them, and that the safety of the roadways is assured across the entire community."
"To all the folks who are on the ground, so to speak, on the roads and on the equipment, thank you very much.
"It's much appreciated that you've been able to keep us in as good shape as we have been, so thank you," the mayor said.