WINTER SAFETY 

With the winter season upon us, when it snows our City crews will be out in full force addressing priority areas for snow removal. We are asking that residents and businesses (property owners) also help to do their part to clear the sidewalks in front of their home or business by 10:00 am each day during and after a snowfall. Please be a good neighbour by offering to help clear your neighbour’s sidewalks if they are away or have difficulty shoveling snow.

Below are some tips and answers to your frequently asked questions (FAQs), as well as information on snow clearing requirements.

• Do not deposit snow on public roadways. Pushing or blowing snow and ice onto or across public roadways creates an unsafe situation for drivers.
• Where possible, please ensure that all vehicles, RV’s, boats, and trailers are stored on your property and not on the roads. This keeps the boulevards clear providing easy access for snow removal equipment.
• Stay a safe distance from the rear of a plow truck and avoid passing or driving beside a plow truck.
• Lend a hand to your neighbour(s) who are not able to clear their snow due to mobility issues, or away on holidays.
• Do not pile your snow at the end of your driveway, as this may obscure your line of sight when exiting your driveway.
• When clearing the sidewalks, the City requests to use de-icing products with calcium chloride, or gravel.  Table, rock salt or a sodium based products will damage the surface of our sidewalks.
• Clear off your awning, canopy, or overhang of ice and snow, so not to fall back on the sidewalk or on a passerby.
• Clear catch basins of leaves, snow and other debris to avoid flooding.  If flooding is noticed, please contact Public Works directly at 250-746-5321.

Report an uncleared sidewalk

SNOW AND ICE CONTROL FAQs
Why does the snow plow leave a wall of snow in front of my driveway?

The operator must plow snow to the curb or right hand side of the road, and has limited control over the amount and direction of snow that comes off the blade. The plow blade is at a set position, and does not have the ability to swivel around driveways and crown of the road. When clearing your driveway, pile the snow on the right side (if you are standing in your driveway and looking towards the street). This can help reduce the amount of snow that is pushed on to your driveway when a snow plow passes.

Can the snow plow operator lift the blade at every driveway?

In order for our snow plow operators to provide the most efficient and cost effective snow removal, continuous movement is required. With hundreds of driveways in the City, it is not practical or cost efficient for operators to lift their blades at every driveway as our main goal is to safely open roads as soon as possible.
Can the snow plow trucks plow all the snow to the other side of the street where there are no sidewalks or driveways?

The snow plows are designed to plow snow to the right hand side of the road. In order to plow all the snow to one side, the equipment would have to drive on the wrong side of the road creating unsafe traffic conditions.

Can I place the snow from my driveway or parking area onto the traveled portion of the street?

To help keep sidewalks and roads safe for travel, residents must avoid pushing or blowing snow from their sidewalk or driveway into the street because it can potentially create dangerous conditions for motorists, and is unlawful under the Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 3156.

Depositing the snow back onto the roadway after a plow truck has gone by creates issues for our snow removal crews. The plow will need to make an additional run down your street to clean it up which increases City’s costs with additional staff time, fuel and equipment wear and tear, not to mention delays in getting to other areas of the City that also need to be plowed.

Can the City’s snow plow operator plow my driveway?

The City of Duncan does not perform work on private property.

When will our streets be plowed or sanded?

After a snowfall the streets are prioritized, with first priority being emergency vehicle and public transportation routes.

The City relies in part on our residents to inform us when road conditions are hazardous.  Please contact Public Works directly at 250-746-5321.

Do I have to clear the sidewalk in front of my house?

Local bylaws designate the clearing of sidewalks as the responsibility of the occupant and/or property owner of buildings, businesses, and property (vacant or occupied).

Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 3156 – Part 8 – Removal of Snow, Ice, Dirt, Leaves and Other Filth Discarded Materials or Rubbish

• Every owner and occupier of property must remove and keep clear at all times leaves, other foliage, filth, discarded materials, or rubbish from any sidewalk abutting the property.
• Every owner or occupier of property must not place snow, leaves, dirt, or other foliage, filth, discarded materials or rubbish from their property, or from a sidewalk, onto City property or any travelled portion of any sidewalk or highway.
• Every owner and occupier of property must remove all snow or ice for the full width of any sidewalk abutting the property by 10:00 am each morning, seven days a week.
• Every owner or occupier or property must not use equipment to clear snow, ice, leaves, dirt, other foliage, filth, discarded materials or rubbish from any sidewalk which could cause damage to the sidewalk or highway due to the weight of the equipment or sharp edges that could cause abrasions or scrapes to the sidewalk or highway.
• Every owner or occupier of property must remove, from all roofs, gutters, cornices, awnings, canopies, or any other part of a structure located on that land, snow, ice, leaves, dirt, other foliage, rubbish or debris that is hazardous to the use of an adjacent highway or sidewalk

Failure to comply with the bylaw places the public and municipality at risk. For the safety and mobility of all residents, a fine of $100 may be issued for non-compliance.

Want to report an uncleared sidewalk?

Contact the City of Duncan Bylaw Department at 250-746-6126 or by email at duncan@duncan.ca

Thank you in advance for your compliance with the bylaw. We look forward to working together to make City streets and sidewalks as safe as possible for all citizens this winter season.