With colder temperatures on the way, Penticton’s fleet of snow-clearing equipment and crews are geared up and ready to respond.
The City is reminding residents about how the snow-clearing process works, as well as the steps required by residents and business owners.
Reminder to residents
The City’s Good Neighbour Bylaw requires property owners or property occupants to clear all sidewalks adjoining their properties of snow and ice before 11 a.m. following a weather event. This also includes the sidewalk at the transit stops if you have one in front of your property.
If you’re capable, please consider lending your neighbour a hand.
Remember when shovelling your driveway to pile the snow on the left side of the driveway (facing the property), so when plows go by, they won’t drag the piles back into your driveway entrance.
It’s always a good idea to clear any catch basins near your home to prevent flooding, and remove snow away from fire hydrants to make them accessible and visible to fire crews.
About the City’s snow-clearing process
Crews have begun spraying an anti-ice, salt/water solution in preparation of the upcoming conditions on the roads. When the snow arrives, clearing crews will focus on priority 1 and 2 roads including main roads, steep hills, emergency routes, bus routes, school zones, collector and industrial roads, followed by residential roads and select lanes. During and after a winter storm, a salt or salt/sand mix is used to maintain traction.
Crews aim to have roads identified as priority 1 to 3 cleared and safe within 48 hours of the end of a significant winter storm event.
The City’s snow equipment includes five large snowplow trucks, four rapid response snowplow trucks, one loader, two anti-icing trucks, two backhoes, three mowers with snow attachments, one municipal tractor and an ATV with blade.
The snow-clearing crew includes 41 staff, including 24 hand crew, who are tasked with shovelling City stairways, walkways, transit shelters and parking lots.
For more tips – and details about the snow-clearing process – visit penticton.ca/snow.
