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Town of Canmore to see new improved snow clearing policy

Though not in affect officially until Nov. 1, the snow removal policy will see snow removed quicker with new standardized responses, including the removal of a specific windrow height and handicap parking stalls changed from a level three priority to a level one
Canmore
Though not in affect officially until Nov. 1, the snow removal policy will see snow removed quicker with new standardized responses, including the removal of a specific windrow height and handicap parking stalls changed from a level three priority to a level one.

CANMORE – As a second snowstorm blanketed the streets of Canmore this week, the municipality has a newly approved snow and ice removal policy about to come into force.

Though not in affect officially until Nov. 1, the snow removal policy will see snow removed quicker with new standardized responses, including the removal of a specific windrow height and handicap parking stalls changed from a level three priority to a level one. 

“The current policy, its focus is roadways, and the proposed policy expands this focus for service delivery ability into three categories being: roadways, the active transportation network, and public facilities,” said Geordie Heal, supervisor or streets and roads, at the July 2 council meeting, when the new policy was officially passed.

The key changes in the policy will see priority one service level responses after 2 cm of snow within 24 hours, as opposed to the previous 5 cm and 48-hour response time, which will remain as the response time for priority two service levels and beyond.

“We had a policy that was quite dated, hadn’t gone through any revisions in a while,” said Andreas Comeau, the Town’s manager of public works.

“We were also looking at a situation where we were going out to tender for a new service provider for municipal roads so it seemed appropriate … We would hold them to the snow removal policy that really sets the service standards and so the first step was to get a new policy in place, which we did, and then we’re going to go out to tender to get a new snow removal contractor in place.”

On top of the changes, Heal recommended council change the snow and ice removal policy review from every five years to every council term. Councillors Esmé Comfort and Joanna McCallum both raised concerns about the accessibility aspect of the policy, which would see snow removed from handicap stalls as a level three priority.

“Currently, in the policy handicap stalls are covered under roads as a priority three? And then the wheelchair ramps and curb cuts … Those would be a priority one?” Asked McCallum.

“If I’m either in a wheelchair, or I have a walker, etc, I can get around town, but I can’t actually get in and out of my car if I’m in a handicap stall? I guess that for me is a disconnect in those two pieces of policy.”

Heal indicated changing handicap stalls to a level one priority would come at an additional cost of $10,000 to the municipality. Coun. Comfort put forward the motion to change handicap stalls on roadways, as well as in public parking lots, to a priority one. The motion was approved unanimously.

Other key changes in the policy include a change to snow removal discretion, which refers to windrow heights. Windrows accumulate in the median of a street as plows remove snow. 

“The current policy has a certain height of the windrow," said Heal. "With new design standards, we’ve removed that and just provided some parameters about how we’d go about removing the snow, and that would include can we get through the road? Is it safe?

"Administration thought it was important to remove a specific height for windrows."

To ensure the new snow and ice policy is appropriate, the Town consulted with the fire department, the engineering design guidelines were reviewed and the Town said it tried to stay “consistent with various stakeholders.”

Comeau said the new policy would see snow removed more frequently at the discretion of the operator and administration. Heal indicated the same thing during the July council meeting.

“Snow seasons are unpredictable and highly variable,” said Heal. “Categories are unique. For example, roadways is managed by a contracted service, active transportation and public facilities are managed ‘in-house.’ Those categories have different priorities and operationally we can respond more appropriately.”

The snow and ice removal policy is in effect from Nov. 1 to the end of March. For more information visit the Town of Canmore’s website at www.canmore.ca.

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