After hundreds of votes cast by the public, the City of Orillia is excited to unveil the winning name for its newly painted snowplow: Catch My Drift.
The contest, launched earlier this year as part of the Public Works Week celebrations, encouraged the community to submit creative names and vote for their favourite from a shortlist of top contenders.
“We are thrilled by the community’s enthusiastic participation in our Name the Plow contest,” said Mayor Don McIsaac. “Catch My Drift was a clear favourite, receiving the most votes from our residents. We thank everyone who submitted names and took the time to vote. This fun initiative helps bring attention to the important work of our winter control team.”
The City received more than 130 name suggestions during the submission phase. After careful review by the City’s Winter Control Team, the top five names were put to a public vote. Catch My Drift emerged as the winning name, beating out other creative finalists like Plowasaurus Rex and The Snowmanator.
The newly named snowplow was painted as part of the Public Works Week event in May and has since had its special painted plow clear-coated to help protect the artwork during the winter season. Residents can expect to see Catch My Drift hard at work keeping Orillia’s roads safe during the snowy months ahead.
“This contest was a great way to engage our community and raise awareness about our winter operations,” said Roger Young, General Manager of Environment and Infrastructure Services. “Our team takes pride in maintaining safe roads, and now, with Catch My Drift, we’re adding a bit of fun to those efforts.”
About Winter Control Operations
Orillia’s winter control operations ensure the safety and accessibility of approximately 414 km of roads and 132 km of sidewalks throughout the city. The City deploys a fleet of 14 plows, eight sidewalk plows, and other specialized equipment to maintain road conditions during the winter season. Crews work around the clock to clear snow and ice, and salt or sand as needed to improve traction. Orillia residents can expect roads to be plowed based on priority, with main streets and key routes being cleared first, followed by residential areas. To learn more about the Name the Plow Contest visit orillia.ca/NameThePlow.
