MOOSE JAW — Do you appreciate the City of Moose Jaw’s efforts in clearing snow in the community? Do you detest those efforts?
Whatever your position on this issue, city hall wants your opinion on its winter maintenance policy and whether it is sufficient or needs to be updated.
“Our crews responded to numerous snow events this past winter. As we start preparing for the 2025-26 winter season, we are asking residents to provide feedback on our snow clearing operations under our winter maintenance policy,” said Bevan Harlton, director of operations.
“Survey responses will guide potential changes to the winter maintenance policy for the 2025-26 snow season.”
The winter maintenance operations survey asks residents questions about priority clearing areas, the potential of plowing snow across driveways and private crossings, activities — more sanding/de-icing, clearing more residential streets, clearing more sidewalks — that the city should prioritize if extra resources were available and removing ruts on streets.
The survey says the city’s 2025 budget for operations under the winter maintenance policy is $1,596,259, which allows the municipality to handle four major blizzards or snow events with priority plows, as well as regular sanding and snow maintenance throughout the season.
Furthermore, the policy’s objectives include reducing hazardous conditions that weather causes, ensuring emergency services can operate, providing adequate mobility for vehicles, minimizing economic losses due to restricted routes and setting service levels for snow and ice control.
Meanwhile, the city clears roads based on priority, including:
- Priority 1: Arterial roads and emergency services (within 24 hours)
- Priority 2: Bus routes (within 48 hours)
- Priority 3: Collector roads (within 72 hours)
- Priority 4: Local collector roads (within 96 hours)
There are other areas labelled category one — remaining roads and walkways that are left hard-packed — and category two, including city-owned parking lots that are cleared as needed. Also, the city implements parking bans by giving residents as much advance notice as possible.
The survey is available now until Monday, May 19 at 11:59 p.m. To do the survey, visit the City of Moose Jaw’s website at www.moosejaw.ca or use the city’s free app.
