City overspends by nearly $500K on 2025 snow clearing after near-record December weather

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The City of Fort St. John went over its snow-clearing budget by almost $500,000 because of a historic amount of snowfall. 

According to a staff presentation before council scheduled to take place during the February 9th committee of the whole, Gary Meir, the city’s roads manager, will be reviewing snow-clearing operations and the 2025 snow budget. 

The presentation and report detail how the city went over its 2025 snowfall budget by $484,000. The 2025 budget was $2.46 million, and the city actually spent $2.95 million. 

While staff acknowledge the overall amount of snowfall in 2025 was less than in 2023, the rapid accumulation in December was the primary reason costs were high, due to the need to hire contractors to keep city roads “safe and passable.”

“City crews worked long hours and enlisted contractor support in an effort to keep the roads safe and passable, this increased the overall cost of operations and dramatically increased the costs for contracted services and additional materials,” the report stated.

In 2023, the city experienced 43.5 centimetres of snow, 2024 brought 121.7 centimetres, and 2025 saw 162.4 centimetres. Of that, the city experienced 103.9 centimetres fall in December alone, approximately 300 per cent of the month’s average snowfall. 

Contractors were hired in December to supplement the city’s snow-clearing efforts, which included as many as 10 loaders, five graders and three bulldozers at any given time during December. According to the report, contracted services for road clearing equipment totalled “well over” $500,000, and went over budget by $468,000. 

The loaders and graders were hired to work ‘continuously’ on frontage roads, downtown paved lanes and residential and commercial streets, while the bulldozers pushed snow at the public snow dump, which was available for all businesses and residents inside and outside the city limits. 

The contractors were also used for assisting with overnight snow hauling in the downtown area and clearing and maintaining downtown paved lanes. 

“The end of 2025 brought one of the heaviest snow periods Fort St. John has experienced in recent memory and recent years,” staff explained. 

Due to the “back-to-back storm events,” the city saw other major overexpenditures in several areas:

• Increased fuel use, equipment wear and staff scheduling
• $9,000 overbudget in paid overtime
• $57,000 in budget shortfalls due to salt use

The city has already dipped into 2026 winter sand funds, after using more than 90 per cent of winter sand intended for the first half of 2026.

The presentation will also reflect on the city’s change to category designations for roads, outlined in its Snow and Ice Control Policy approved in October 2025. 

“Moving forward, consideration will be given to how the road categories align with road volumes, proximity to hospitals, emergency services, schools and public spaces,” the report stated. 

The presentation and report will be provided to the City of Fort St. John council during the February 9th committee of the whole meeting at 1 p.m. at City Hall.

To read the full report, see below.