SASKATOON — An information report presented to City Council’s Standing Policy Committee on Transportation on details how the City successfully navigated an extraordinary emergency snow event in December 2022 with an equally extraordinary response.
The City’s was activated for the very first time on Dec. 28, 2022, after back-to-back snow events between Dec. 25 and 28. The snowfall resulted in over 30 centimetres of snow accumulation and severely impacted mobility on streets and sidewalks. This was in addition to four previous snow events earlier in the winter.
Once the response plan was activated, snow grading along all streets in Saskatoon was completed within eight days of the end of snowfall, faster than the targeted timeline of 10 days, while snow removal along Priority 2 and 3 streets was completed within five weeks – the fastest this work has ever been completed. All snow removal work was completed within approximately nine weeks.
“Our response to the late 2022 snowfall showcased our commitment to the safety and the well-being of our residents,” says Goran Saric, director of Roadways, Fleet and Support.
Highlights from 2022-23 ERP activation include:
- 102,000 truckloads of snow removed from Saskatoon streets..
- 1.4 million cubic metres of snow stored at the three snow management facilities at the Civic Operations Centre, along Wanuskewin Drive and Central Avenue. This is approximately four times the amount of snow stored at the snow management facilities in years leading up to 2020.
- 500 crew days of effort to remove snow piles on local streets.
- A typical day during snow removal included 150 haul trucks, 32 graders, 18 loaders, 4 snow blowers, 12 skid steers, 10 pilot trucks, seven dozers, 11 tow trucks and much more light equipment.
- 27 contracting companies provided additional resources including haul trucks, loaders, snow blowers, dozers and graders. Nearly all contractors that submitted interest and pricing for local street snow removal were hired.
“The successful handling of the significant snow events stands as a testament to the City’s commitment to meeting challenges head-on, learning from experiences and continuously improving its emergency response capabilities,” says Saric.
The total cost of the 2022/23 emergency snow response was $18 million, more than the annual operating budget for Snow and Ice Management. Nearly 90 per cent of the cost was for the city-wide snow removal phase.
For more information on the Roadways Emergency Response Plan for Extreme or Unusual Snow Events, visit
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