Snow and Ice Control Policy No. 37/25

Fort St. John, British Columbia · No. 37/25 · summary & facts

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File No. 0340-50 Administration SNOW AND ICE CONTROL POLICY Council Policy No. 37/25 Council Resolution No. 235/25 Effective: October 14, 2025 Supersedes Council Resolution Nos. 29/19, 108/08, 158/00, 687/93 Page: 1 of 4 PURPOSE: The purpose of this policy is to establish priorities for snow and ice control within the transportation corridors and other designated snow and ice control areas of the City of Fort St. John. POLICY: The City of Fort St. John aims to maintain the City's roadways, sidewalks, trails and City-owned parking lots during the winter months in a safe, functional, and economically responsible manner, to reduce the negative impacts that ice and snow may have on the streets and sidewalks in the community, and to facilitate the movement of emergency vehicles, traffic, and pedestrians throughout the winter months. The policy and the administration of the policy also aim to provide an equitable level of service to all the residents of the City of Fort St. John. The policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure adequate resources and reserves are both in place and available. COUNCIL PRINCIPLES: - Winter City Focus - Fort St John is a winter city and winter conditions are an important part of life in our community. - In Partnership with Our Residents - Council recognizes that snow clearing operations call for a collaborative approach with citizens and City of Fort St John staff. - Public Safety a Priority - Roads will be cleared based on category to enable effective movement of emergency vehicles and facilitate movement of traffic within the city. APPLICATION: This policy applies to snow and ice control carried out by the City of Fort St. John, its employees, and private contractors employed by the City of Fort St. John, on all highways, streets, lanes, parking lots, trails, and sidewalks, within the City of Fort St. John snow control area. This policy operates in addition to and may supplement other policies and bylaws of the City of Fort St. John. ADMINISTRATION OF THIS POLICY: This policy will be administered through the Snow and Ice Control Administrative Procedure No. 39, the Sidewalk Regulations Bylaw No. 2528, 2020, and the Highway and Traffic Bylaw No. 2605, 2025. File No. 0340-50 Administration SNOW AND ICE CONTROL POLICY Council Policy No. 37/25 Council Resolution No. 235/25 Effective: October 14, 2025 Supersedes Council Resolution Nos. 29/19, 108/08, 158/00, 687/93 Page: 2 of 4 DEFINITIONS: - Contractors - snow removal services completed by non-BCGEU members using non-City owned equipment. - Director of Public Works - the City of Fort St. John Department Head responsible for the snow and ice control operations, or any person designated to act on their behalf. - Employee - any person employed by the City of Fort St. John, and includes full-time, part-time, or auxiliary employee. - Routine snow clearing - normal snow and ice clearing (including salting/sanding) intended to eliminate, reduce, or mitigate hazards to users within the snow and ice control area. - Snow and ice control area - an area containing highways, streets, lanes, trails, sidewalks, and parking lots that has been designated by the City of Fort St. John to be cleared of snow or ice, as indicated in Appendix A, B, and C of the Snow and Ice Control Administrative Procedure No. 39. - Snow and ice control categories - services provided to roads, parking lots, trails, and sidewalks in category order. The category will apply to each snow fall event. - Snowfall event - minimal less than 5 cm, basic 5-10 cm, major 10-20 cm, significant 20 or greater. COMMUNICATIONS PLAN: All communications related to the Snow and Ice Control Program will be coordinated through the Communications Department. These communications will align with the Corporate Communications Policy 41 and the Social Media Policy No. 121. SNOW AND ICE CONTROL CATEGORIES: Snow and ice control services will be carried out for roads, parking lots, trails, and sidewalks based on the category order as outlined in the "Snow and Ice Control Categories" section. These categories are applied to each snowfall event, with clearing operations typically proceeding in numerical order from Category 1 through Category 5. However, deviations from this sequence may occur during major or significant snowfalls, City-sponsored events, or unusual weather conditions such as drifting snow, rain-on-snow, or chinooks. In such cases, contracted services may be deployed to support City crews, including snow removal in lower category areas like Category 5. File No. 0340-50 Administration SNOW AND ICE CONTROL POLICY Council Policy No. 37/25 Council Resolution No. 235/25 Effective: October 14, 2025 Supersedes Council Resolution Nos. 29/19, 108/08, 158/00, 687/93 Page: 3 of 4 ROADWAYS PARKING LOTS SIDEWALKS & TRAILS Department: Public Works Department: Civic Properties Facilities Department: Parks Category 1 red 100 St & 100 Ave, major thoroughfares & adjacent sidewalks red RCMP, City Hall, Pomeroy Sport Centre red Adjacent to City-owned properties Category 2 blue Collector routes & adjacent sidewalks blue Fire Hall, Development Services, Public Works Operations & Maintenance Buildings, Water/Sewer Facilities, Arenas, and Pool blue Parks & other City owned parking lots Category 3 orange Transit routes, transit stops & adjacent sidewalks, core avenues orange Other Administrative Buildings orange Multi-use trails Category 4 pink All frontage roads & core commercial paved lanes Category 5 green Residential areas MONITORING AND OPERATIONAL OVERSIGHT: The Director of Public Works is responsible for monitoring winter conditions on all infrastructure types, including roadways, parking lots, trails, and sidewalks. Each department initiates and manages snow and ice control operations independently for their respective infrastructure types, progressing through the categories as conditions dictate. The sequence and methods used are guided by operational efficiency, including route optimization and other relevant factors as outlined in the Snow and Ice Control Administrative Procedure No. 39. SNOW CLEARING METHODOLOGY: Snow clearing will generally proceed in order of category, beginning with Category 1 routes and continuing sequentially through to Category 5. Crews will generally complete one category before beginning work on the next category in the sequence. a. Snow clearing will begin when the accumulation of snow is greater than 5 cm. File No. 0340-50 Administration SNOW AND ICE CONTROL POLICY Council Policy No. 37/25 Council Resolution No. 235/25 Effective: October 14, 2025 Supersedes Council Resolution Nos. 29/19, 108/08, 158/00, 687/93 Page: 4 of 4 b. Snow clearing will generally take place in order of category as identified in the "Snow and Ice Control Categories" section. Work will continue until crews have completed all the roadways in each specific category prior to moving to the next category. c. Once Category 1 roadways have been cleared, crews will begin work on Category 2 roadways, followed by Category 3 roadways, then Category 4 roadways, followed by Category 5 roadways. d. If a further snowfall accumulation of 5 cm or greater occurs, crews will continue/return to clear category 1 roadways, later moving/returning to clear roadways in category sequence as identified in the "Snow and Ice Control Categories" section. e. If the accumulation of snow is greater than 15 cm within a 24 hour period, the Director of Public Works may, at their discretion, enlist the use of contracted snow and ice control services to clear roadways. Contracted snow clearing will commence once the snowfall has subsided. The approach to snow clearing is guided by the Snow and Ice Control Administrative Procedure No. 39, which outlines the specific levels of service for each category. This includes prioritization, staffing levels, clearing methods, and the use of contracted services. City Council acknowledges that Fort St. John is a winter city, and that winter conditions are an integral part of community life. Adjacent property owners are responsible for clearing sidewalks within 48 hours of a snowfall. City crews will prioritize snow removal to ensure the safe and efficient movement of emergency vehicles as well as general traffic and pedestrians throughout the city. Council encourages all users to assess the condition of each of the roadways, parking lots, trails, and sidewalks prior to use, and to make a determination as to the hazards that may exist.