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Close-upsof the people at work in our communitiesPaul Re k rut — Snow plow des pate herOne member of the staff of the Manitoba Highways Department office in Steinbach probably spends more time on the phone daily during his working hours than most housewives spend gossiping to neighbors in a week. Paul Rekrut is one of two snow plow despatchcrs and it is his responsibility to keep southeastern Manitoba roads open during the winter.The highways department clears and salts all highways and provincial roads in the province and for outlying areas even sends plows where there arc no roads. Mr Rekrut savs last vear thev♦ i *nearlv lost a machine when a%plow trying to clear a trail for the Buffalo Point Indian Reserve east of Middlebro sank into the bog.When Mr Rekrut gets to his office at 6:30 a.m. he calls the Winnipeg highways office to checkon weather conditions and bv 8%a.m. calls again to give a road conditions report for his area. From then until Don Moore takes over at 2 p.m. it’s calls and more calls as he despatches the district's 12 plows, phones in iipy changes in weather or road conditions and answers calls from the public. If you want to know exactly which roads are open or slippery Mr Rekrut is the man to call.The information he phones in to Winnipeg is relayed to the public through radio announcements. When there is a bad storm in this area Mr Rekrut savs he can expect to handle as many as 100 calls per day.The walls of his Steinbach office are covered with maps of the district with the locations of each snow plow pinpointed. He enters every phone call he receives or makes in a ledger and keeps one ear tuned to the radio to keep abreast of any changes in the weather needing action from his department. When a plow operator calls in. Mi Rekrut must beable to tell him exactly where to% ’go.The despatcher's job doesn't only apply to snowplows. Mr Rekrut savs. he also has to watch*for icv road conditions and sends%out trucks with chemicals. Although people complain bitterly when their cars rust, they demand that the highways department keep the roads clear of ice.Mr Rekrut has been a despatch-er for the department for four vears and has worked for the highways department for 17 years.He was part of a crew that helped build Highway 89 from Pi-ney to the United States border and PTH 12 from South Junc-tion to Sprague. At that time he went to Sprague expecting to bethere for about three weeks*and -ended up staying for 3*2vears. he savs.• *Mr Rekrut grew up in the Pansy area, spent two years in the army during the Second World War and has in the past been actively involved in the community helping to build the Sarto Community Centre.Mr Rekrut. his wife Tillie and daughter Deborah live in Sarto.
Newspaper Details
Steinbach Carillon
Steinbach, Manitoba, CA
Wed, Nov 22, 1972
Page 27
Full Page
Clipped by
Helen F.
CA 05 Jul 2018
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Steinbach Carillon
