Extra contractors brought in after city blanketed with double average snowfall

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — After a recent surge in snowfall, the City of Fort St. John has adjusted its snow removal methods.

According to the city in a December 15th Facebook post, more than 50 cm of snow has fallen so far this month, nearly double the typical December average, with about half of that accumulating in the last five days.

The city uses a category-based snow clearing system, starting with high-traffic routes and emergency access roads before moving into residential areas.

The city’s communications manager Ryan Harvey told Energeticcity.ca contractors are now assisting with roads deemed category four, frontage roads and downtown paved lanes, and category five, which is residential and commercial streets.

He also said crews have changed how some streets are opened.

“[We] have modified our clearing methodology to open some roads with an underbelly blade instead of graders and blowers,” Harvey said. 

“This allows us to clear the travel lane and then come back to clear the street from curb to curb fully.”

Harvey added parking enforcement has been minimal during clearing, despite new rules which forbid street parking on category one major thoroughfares, with the exception of 100th Street and 100th Avenue or on any streets where snow windrows are present.

“So far this year, we’ve towed approximately five vehicles in support of snow clearing and parking on a roadway for longer than 24 hours,” he said. 

“We’ve mainly focused on education and encouraging people to move their vehicles, which has been effective.”

Snow clearing begins once accumulation exceeds five centimetres and proceeds by priority:

• Category one: Major thoroughfares (e.g., Northern Lights Drive, 100th Avenue, 100th Street, 93rd Avenue, 112th Avenue and 86th Street)
• Category two: Collector routes (e.g., 106th Street, 89th Avenue, 90th Street and 102nd Street)
• Category three: Transit routes and core avenues (e.g., 111th Avenue, 101st Avenue, 99th Avenue and 105th Avenue)
• Category four: Frontage roads and core commercial lanes (e.g.,. Alaska Road and the laneway west of 100th Street)
• Category five: Residential and commercial streets (e.g., 104th Street, 115th Avenue and 91st Avenue)

The city is also implementing a new residential snow clearing schedule for the 2025-2026 season. 

Once crews reach category five roads, neighbourhoods will be assigned specific days of the week for clearing, on a rotating basis.

Category maps, clearing schedules and additional details are available on the city’s winter maintenance webpage.