It’s not exactly their typical racket, but workers and equipment with the local construction firms Extreme Excavating and Canby Excavating have been put to good use this week, removing large debris piles from the destructive ice storm last weekend.
The two companies’ trucks and heavy equipment have been seen around town and in various residential neighborhoods, clearing limbs and other debris blocking roadways and sidewalks.
Canby Ex Operations Manager Joel Sprague admits it was their local competitor, Extreme Ex, who inspired them.
“We saw that they were out there doing it, and we said, ‘Hey, we’d better get out there and do the same thing,” Sprague said before joking that he planned to call Extreme Ex and see who had hauled more loads.
Canby Ex has had two crews of four to five out working the streets, with trucks and small excavators as well as hand tools like chainsaws and pole saws. Their initial focus was clearing roads and sidewalks for safety purposes, but they also reached out to communities like Canby Foursquare Church to identify older home-owners and people who need help.
“We’ve been going into folks’ backyards and just trying to see where the needs are and help people out,” Sprague told The Canby Current. “And we’re really focused on clearing the streets and sidewalks so that we can get things back to normal.”
Their work has been extremely appreciated.
“That’s the fun part: People are bringing out snacks and cheering on the guys,” he said. “It’s hard work to go clean all this stuff up, but it really helps when you’ve got people thanking us and cheering us on.”
The trucks, which normally can handle up to 12 yards of debris, are hauling their payloads to various dumpsites the city has opened around town.
“Everybody gets a deep satisfaction from being able to help out,” he said. “We’ve got a great community and we love being able to help.”
Sprague said Canby Ex’s crew plans to hit the streets for at least another week. If you have any blockages or large piles of debris that Canby Excavating may be able to assist with, call their office at 503-266-2792 or email info@canbyex.com. Please include your address and a specific request.