City of Saskatoon making progress on snow, reminds residents to clear walks

Now that the second major winter storm has hit Saskatoon, residents are out clearing their sidewalks and driveways while city crews and contractors are working to move the snow out of the streets.

The City of Saskatoon reminded residents about some rules people need to follow while cleaning up.

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Snow blowers can only be used in the city between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. on weekends and statutory holidays.

Matt Grazier, the director of community standards with the City of Saskatoon, also reminded people with snowblowers not to blow the snow onto the roads.

“Our sidewalk clearing bylaw does prohibit blowing your snow from your sidewalk onto the road. That should be kept on your lawn,” Grazier said.

“Certainly the challenge with blowing it onto the road is that if your street isn’t one that gets cleared, that can make driving that much more treacherous and difficult. Whether you’re still blowing it or shovelling it, it should always go on your lawn.”

Every winter, Grazier said, the city receives complaints of people moving snow onto the road, and can ticket offenders. The city, however, does not issue tickets for noise complaints; those go through the Saskatoon Police Service.

Grazier said most complaints made to the city relate to people not clearing their sidewalks after the snow has fallen.

“We do get called out thousands of times during the winter months for residents who aren’t clearing their sidewalks in accordance with the bylaw,” he said.

“From the time of a snowfall, a person has 48 hours to clear their sidewalks, or in commercial areas 24 hours to clear their sidewalks.”

❄️ Snow’s not the only thing covering Saskatoon right now – KINDNESS is, too! While snow crews tackle the streets, SNOW many of you have already cleared your sidewalk PLUS your neighbour’s sidewalk! #yxe

➡️ Read latest PSA about snow grading progress: https://t.co/nt5eOjAur3 pic.twitter.com/iHVV5m8SPS

— City of Saskatoon (@cityofsaskatoon) November 24, 2024

Information about sidewalk clearing can be found on the city’s website here.

Read more:

• Man taken to hospital with serious injuries after snowmobile flips in Saskatoon
• Saskatoon water main break closes Millar Ave at 43rd Street

City advises drivers to stay home if possible

The City of Saskatoon advises drivers to stay home if they can after the city received 25 centimetres of snow over the weekend.

“Stay home if you can, as snow crews can make more progress clearing roads when fewer vehicles are out,” the city advised in a statement issued on Sunday.

“Drivers, leave extra room for quick stopping and watch for blue and yellow flashing lights on road equipment.”

City and contractor crews have been working hard to clear the roads, focusing on high-speed and high-traffic routes, as well as intersections and bridges. Over the next 72 hours, the city said crews will begin grading streets according to the priority system. After grading is complete, snow removal will take place downtown and in school zones.

“Crews will also start on City facility sidewalks, Meewasin Trail, park pathways with street lighting, pathways along freeways and arterials, and bridge/overpass walkways,” the city added.

As of 9:45 a.m. on Monday, the city said 91 per cent of Priority 1 routes had been graded, along with 20 per cent of Priority 2 streets and five per cent of Priority 3 routes.

Overnight, there were 36 graders, 15 sanders, 11 plows and five sidewalk plows working on moving the snow.

Towing companies busy after snowstorm

Since the heavy snowfall began, there hasn’t been much downtime for tow truck operators in the province.

In Saskatoon, tow truck companies said their wait times ranged between 45 minutes and three hours in the aftermath of the storm.

Rae Purdy, officer manager for Astro Towing, said the weekend was busy, but the fact that many people stayed home on Sunday made it more manageable.

“Having it happen on a Sunday made a difference, which we really are grateful for,” she said.

“It makes things a lot easier. It allows us to deal with the priorities. At this point, because of the snow day, it’s not bad at all,” Purdy added. “What I imagine is people start moving later in the day, and (we’ll) get busier.”

While city crews and contractors made significant progress clearing snow from priority streets overnight, many residential streets are still a challenge to navigate.

Purdy advised drivers to wear proper winter gear and to stay in their vehicles if they get stuck or stranded, as towing companies prioritize those in precarious situations.

“Most important thing is never leave your house without proper winter gear on. Doesn’t matter if you’re going to the (store) by your house, just make sure you’ve got good footwear,” she said.

“Understand that we are dealing with priorities, so if you’re safe at home, you’re usually not as much of a priority as somebody who is stranded on the side of the road. We do have to juggle.”

Purdy said Astro’s average wait at 8:30 a.m. on Monday was around two hours.

–with files from 650 CKOM’s Alex Brown, Shane Clausing and Brent Bosker

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to correct a misspelling in Purdy’s name

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