Snow Removal

It is expected that under normal winter conditions, there will be situations when the immediate demand for snow removal and ice control services will exceed the available resources

In order to maximize the benefits of operations, snow removal and ice control personnel shall conduct operations according to the following priorities:

1. Hospital

2. Central Business District

3. Business Lanes

4. Fire Halls

5. Main Arteries

6. School Bus Routes

7. Municipal Parking Lots

8. Collector Streets

9. Residential Streets

From October 1 to March 31 between the hours of 6:00 am to 4:00 pm please park your vehicles in your driveway so that when the snow plow does the street the operator can do a neat and thorough job.  

Snow Removal and Ice Control (Work Days, Weekends, Statutory Holidays)

From Monday through Friday there is continuous coverage from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday there is one employee on call to respond to service calls.

The 7:00 a.m. crew is dispatched to check street conditions. If the snow is less than 1” deep sanding of all intersections and icy areas will begin. When the depth of snow is 1” to 2” or more, the crew may remove snow from streets in town, and if time permits the lanes will be done. Snow that needs to be hauled away from the streets in front of businesses or congested areas is hauled out during regular work days only.

Calling out a sand truck after hours is left to the discretion of the Director of Operations, Lead Hand or the on call person. The on call person can be reached, after hours at 250.425.7760. This line connects to the Public Works Shop which is routed to the on call person through an answering service.

If it should begin to snow after hours during the week or on weekends, the Director of Operations, Lead Hand and on call person have the responsibility to monitor the changing conditions so that the District can respond to any slippery or hazardous conditions. The first response units in the off hours are the combination sander/plow trucks. Any further call out of equipment is at the discretion of the Director of Operations or Lead Hand.

The District is responsible for the plowing, sanding, and removal of snow on all streets within the District boundaries, with the exception of private owned properties such as trailer courts and condos. Major highways are the responsibility of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) and are maintained through their contractor.

Generally 2” of snow may constitute a major plow, which means that all available equipment will start early and all parts of the District are covered in order of priority.

Windrow Removal Pilot Program

Council approved the windrow removal pilot program for an additional year (2016/2017) for all residents affected by the District’s snow removal program.

General guidelines of the program include:

• Windrow removal service will be provided only when the windrow is an accumulated height of 6 inches or greater;
• No windrow removal service will be provided to residents who push snow from their driveways into the windrow for removal by the District; 
• The intent of the windrow removal service is to knock down the windrow and allow for vehicle passage; it is not the intent of the program to provide full clearing and cleaning of the entire width of a driveway, from edge to edge. Approximately 1-2” of snow will be left to avoid damage to driveways; and
• Snow that has been cleared from driveways will be deposited on the boulevards and periodically removed, as required, to make room for additional storage.