It’s not too early to talk snow, according to Prince George City Council. 

At their meeting this evening (Monday), Council approved a new Snow and Ice Control Policy based on a report brought forward in May from retired manager Frank Blues. 

Snow season is an expensive one for the city of Prince George. In an interview with MyPGNow earlier this year, Finance Director Kris Dalio and city spokesperson Mike Kellett said for five months of the year, the city spends between $50,000 and $150,000 a day on snow clearing operations.

“It can get as high as $150,000 a day, but I can imagine if the snow got even worse it’s possible to exceed that,” said Dalio. Even when it doesn’t snow, PG is still paying a minimum of $50,000 a day in operational costs between November 1st and March 31st.

General Manager of Engineering and Public Works Dave Dyer said in his report to Council that the change from a Council Procedure to a Council Policy is consistent with the recommendation from Blues. 

“It aligns with a number of other four season communities throughout Canada. It provides guidance to City Administration and Staff on the priorities of Council and further clarity with a set of guiding principles for the City’s snow and ice control program.”  

The presentation outlined actions that will help guide the City in the development, implementation, maintenance, review, and reporting of its snow and ice control program.

  • Define the levels of snow and ice control services to be delivered using best management practices in support of Council’s Strategic Priorities;  
  • Identify the optimum mix of internal/external resources to deliver the desired services; 
  • Plan financially for the defined levels of service and the risk of costs exceeding the annual budget due to the variable nature of winter;  
  • Identify and address the effects of climate change; 3  
  •  Implement equipment training and succession planning to ensure that City operations are optimized and that support staff are trained and available when required;
  • Communicate information to the public about snow and ice control operations, both in advance of and during the winter season.

The draft was carried unanimously by Council and does not include a budget increase at this time.

For more information on Prince George’s snow clearing routes and priorities, you can follow this link.