SASKATOON -- Saskatoon’s extreme cold weather is keeping tow truck drivers busy.
On Wednesday, the wind chill hit a low of -52. At one point, Saskatoon was colder than the North Pole.
Most calls to Brad’s Towing on Wednesday were from people needing a boost.
“Average day in the summer I might get one or two boosts,” tow truck driver Jem Gascho said.
“Winter, we’re boosting all day. I’ll probably do 15 to 20 boosts. And that’s just one truck. We have six trucks going all day, too … If it’s cold, we’re boosting cars.”
The dip in weather can put an old vehicle battery over the edge, according to Darin Sather from Competition Muffler and Shocks.
“If a battery is weak, it’ll freeze up on you and won’t be able to hold the voltage properly,” Sather told CTV News.
His shop has also been inundated with calls.
“This week alone we’re on 10, 12 batteries right now,” he said.
If you’re unsure if your battery is weak – Gascho expects you’ll find out in the heart of winter.
“Cold weather weeds out the bad batteries, we’re going to find them,” he said, laughing.
