Project Wrap Up
On November 22, 2021, Council adopted a new Snow and Ice Control Policy and Snow Removal Windrow Clearing Policy to provide a clear framework for how we deliver snow and ice control services.
The goal of these policies is to ensure the City offers consistent, efficient, and sustainable services to the community.
Read through our November 2021 report to Council, here.
View the presentation to Council here.
Highlights of the Snow & Ice Control Policy
7 day a Week Service
- More snow clearing on weekends, creating a balanced approach to snow management throughout the entire week.
- New staffing shifts allow crews work from 4am until midnight.
- Downtown centre-plow windrows can now be cleared on weekends.
Curb-to-Curb Approach
- We use a curb-to-curb approach to clear snow from streets, while following a prioritization framework. This approach clears driving lanes and on-street parking lanes on the first pass, and minimizes the number of windows created.
Full Plow Triggered by 5cm of Snow
- When 5 cm of snow is the forecast or accumulated (on the ground), all hands are on deck to clear snow. You can expect to see our graders, loaders, sanders, sidewalk machines, downtown blower, and dump trucks out on the streets working to clear roads, sidewalks and remove centre plows.
- With light snow falls (less than 5 cm) you can expect to see belly plows plowing and sanding around town, and sidewalk machines clearing sidewalks.
For more information about how snow and ice management services are provided by the City of Fernie, visit our Snow Clearing web page.
Have questions about the service?
Read our Snow Clearing FAQ for answers to frequently asked questions.
Highlights of the Windrow Clearing Program
- The windrow clearing program now operates 7 days a week. Previously, windrow services were not being provided on weekends or statutory holidays, which significantly delayed the service.
- We’ve changed the language in our policy to make it easier to follow and set clearer expectations for those that receive this service. Approved residents can expect on a typical snowfall requiring a full plow response that their driveway snow windrow will be cleared within 48 hours and is dependent on:
a. Availability of equipment and staffing
b. Size of snowfall
c. Available service budget
For more information about the Windrow Removal Program, visit our Windrow Clearing web page.
Work in Progress
All polices and bylaws require continual and regular review to ensure the City remains responsive to changing needs of the community. Snow and Ice Control touches on many areas of the organization and more work is needed in related areas to ensure the success of these policies.
Next steps for ongoing work include:
Bylaw Enforcement for Snow and Ice Control – Work on potential enforcement strategies is underway and proposed solutions will be brought forward to Council in early 2022.
Delivery of Snow and Ice Control at Leased Municipal Facilities – Services provided to leased facilities are determined by individual lease agreements. A lease review for municipal facilities has been delayed due to pandemic response, therefore these services have been excluded from the core snow and ice control policy. Further work is needed to renew these lease agreements.
Driveway Access Permits - Regulating driveway widths and proximity of driveways to intersections with the introduction of driveway access permits will ensure safety and maintain adequate frontage and city boulevard space intended for city snow storage.
Residential Laneway Snow Clearing – The new snow and ice control policy includes the clearing of commercial laneways, with some residential laneways cleared by individual residents who have a specific interest in accessing a laneway during winter. Work is needed to implement a residential laneway clearing application process to ensure correct placement of snow, adequate drainage, and include an appropriate waiver.
Snow and Ice Control in New Development Areas - Further work is required to effectively trigger delivery of snow and ice control services at specific points of development. For example, if active building permits are issued, occupancy permit issued, full road services to align with city ownership of infrastructure and no hold backs with developer.
Downtown Snow and Ice Control - More work is needed to explore service and funding options to better coordinate City snow and ice services with snow and ice services provided by the downtown business community. Collaboration with stakeholder groups can address the current challenges.
Snow Dumps - A review of current snow dump locations, snow dump management practices and identification of future snow dump locations is needed to meet operating requirements.
Service Delivery through Staffing - Shift scheduling and use of temporary seasonal operators requires ongoing monitoring and consideration to optimize approach throughout the winter season and in the years to come.
Report an Issue
The Request for Service tool is an online form for residents to report non-emergency maintenance issues such as potholes or broken streetlights.
Residents can submit Snow and Ice related service requests for any services the City of Fernie provides as outlined in the Snow and Ice Control Policy or Snow Plow Windrow Policy.
Please understand that during a snow event, it may take multiple days for snow clearing crews to complete their routes.
Report an issue using our Request for Service tool.
Service requests are reviewed daily and assigned accordingly. Residents can expect to receive an update to their service requests within 7 business days.
If you have feedback or requests for issues not covered by the Snow and Ice Control Policy, send an email to: snow@fernie.ca
