While we bask in this glorious autumn weather, the prospect of dealing with snow-covered and icy roads seems a distant reality.
Not so for Josh Cousins who, last month in Carleton Place near Ottawa, got an early opportunity to demonstrate his truck operating skills.
The City of St. Thomas snow plow operator drove off with the top award at the 2025 Association of Ontario Road Supervisors Truck Rodeo.
The Driver of the Year honour recognizes the Top Municipal Equipment Operator in Ontario.
Cousins explained the set-up of the obstacle course that takes up to 15 minutes to navigate.
Cousins, a city employee for the past 10 years, learned to operate a snow plow while employed with the Township of Malahide, where he worked for five years.
There were 49 drivers in this year’s competition and Cousins, in a random draw, picked Number 3.
It meant a long, nerve-wracking wait until the other competitors completed their runs.
“Yeah, I think it’s maybe better to drive earlier on. You’re not sitting around waiting and thinking about it all day. You just go do it.”
He explained the scoring system.
Cousins won the regional competition earlier this year in Woodstock which booked him a spot in the provincial rodeo (see photo below).
Which was held under controlled conditions, however what is it like when the weather forecast is calling for heavy, blowing snow overnight?
With deep snow, we are all wondering how plow operators know where to navigate.
So, as you wheel the plow out onto a city road in the middle of a snowfall, is there a key consideration to keep in mind?
“Just stay calm and relaxed in there,” advised Cousins. “It’s usually a long shift. There’s frustrating times and you’ve just got to stay calm.
“When the storms stack on top of each other three or four or five days in a row, that’s when it really starts to take its toll on you.”
Written by Ian McCallum
