Spring thaw begins another pothole season on Iqaluit streets

Pothole season in Iqaluit appears to be back with a vengeance.

The city is asking for patience, a city councillor is speaking out and a local mechanic and cab owner says drivers could be facing close to a thousand dollars in damages if they're not careful.

With temperatures rising above freezing over the past few days, potholes are back on city streets. Many are filled with water, meaning drivers may have no idea how deep they actually are.  

"You've got to slow down. It's up to the driver to be careful," said Michel Gilbert, the co-owner of Upper Base Garage and Caribou Cabs.   

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Some common problems Gilbert sees when potholes damage vehicles are with front ends, ball joints and radiators. Fixing those issues isn't cheap, he said.

"It's a lot of money, when you break a ball joint for instance, that's $1,000. It could be very easily done," Gilbert said. "It adds up fast."

May is usually the worst time of year for vehicles in Iqaluit, Gilbert said, adding some cab owners will take a vacation so they don't risk damaging their vehicles. Others will take longer routes, avoiding tricky sections of road.  

"A lot of private owners don't want to go on the Road to Apex, or West 40 Road and Federal Road," he said.  

Gilbert is not the only one to notice the state of Iqaluit's streets.

Iqaluit Coun. Kuthula Matshazi took to social media Tuesday to address the road conditions this year. He said this year's potholes are the worst he's seen in five years.

Please be patient, city pleads 

The City of Iqaluit issued a public service announcement about the road conditions Tuesday.

It says city maintenance crews are out repairing potholes and clearing snow and culverts as well as maintaining the flow of water along road edges.

Residents are asked to be patient while the work continues. 

"Warmer weather and snow melt create ideal conditions for roads to degrade and potholes to form," the announcement said.  

"Road grading along the more significantly impacted roadways is now underway. We kindly request the understanding of residents as we attempt to keep on top of all problem areas."