[thommyjo]

The Snow & Ice Control Program did a Reddit AMA today. Their response to a similar question was:

"This year neighbourhoods with boulevards are being cleared first to facilitate windrow placement due to the warm weather, after that they will be cleared geographically from equipment dispatch locations."

Also saw this response from them:

“24/5! We will be pausing from 7pm Friday until 7am Monday to allow for weekend parking. Outside of that, our crews are working.”

How does this make sense?? You can barely park in many areas currently without risking getting stuck. 4 vehicles got stuck on my road today (that I saw). How does weekend parking matter when they clear roads at 9pm? Are there more people street parking at 2pm on Saturday than a weekday evening?

 

[Yeggy]

I’m pretty sure they use calcium chloride and sand and salt - just like Edmonton - except for the bridge which uses liquid potassium acetate which is biodegradable and less corrosive than potassium chloride.

You would be wrong, its Potassium Chloride, straight from knacks mouth. .

 

[Payd1964]

Full disclosure I live beyond the Henday and commute to Red Deer. Listening to people report that our Downtown is not cleaned up WEEKS after a snow event is shocking and quite frankly, embarrassing for the City. Windrow and removal of snow from downtown streets should be done in two days. Other cities can do it. And as Ian said, downtown lanes should be prioritized as well. Edmonton cannot be viewed seriously on the regional or national stage if it cannot figure out how to do basic services such as snow removal. Our elected officials and administration give excuses - all the time. Somehow we have to do better - but given the results of the recent election I truly believe Edmontonians have settled for mediocrity.

 

[Yeggy]

Full disclosure I live beyond the Henday and commute to Red Deer. Listening to people report that our Downtown is not cleaned up WEEKS after a snow event is shocking and quite frankly, embarrassing for the City. Windrow and removal of snow from downtown streets should be done in two days. Other cities can do it. And as Ian said, downtown lanes should be prioritized as well. Edmonton cannot be viewed seriously on the regional or national stage if it cannot figure out how to do basic services such as snow removal. Our elected officials and administration give excuses - all the time. Somehow we have to do better - but given the results of the recent election I truly believe Edmontonians have settled for mediocrity.

Ok… reality exists in a time line… So the reality is that snow fell over multiple days over a period of a week. aa qualifying snow event resets the entire operation.

Yes its frustrating but we also received 3x the normal amount of snowfall for this time this year.

Edmontonions are hilarious. Some of us remember other winters like this, likely also on a el nino year. This is life. It will get done. You cant expect the norm under exceptional circumstances.

 

[thommyjo]

Ok… reality exists in a time line… So the reality is that snow fell over multiple days over a period of a week. aa qualifying snow event resets the entire operation.

Yes its frustrating but we also received 3x the normal amount of snowfall for this time this year.

Edmontonions are hilarious. Some of us remember other winters like this, likely also on a la nina year. This is life. It will get done. You cant expect the norm under exceptional circumstances.

It’s not either/or. They sucked or they have nothing they could do better.

I think most reasonable people understand the magnitude of snow and snowfall events this year. And would be understanding of some challenges. But like mentioned, we’ve got 3-4ft tall windrows in our downtown, brutal streets in our most urban residential area. But then Beverly got bladed on Monday?

Deployment needs to be more strategic and should reflect a more thoughtful ROI approach. Not every km of road benefits as many people. Clear the areas first that help the most people.

 

[TAS]

It’s not either/or. They sucked or they have nothing they could do better.

I think most reasonable people understand the magnitude of snow and snowfall events this year. And would be understanding of some challenges. But like mentioned, we’ve got 3-4ft tall windrows in our downtown, brutal streets in our most urban residential area. But then Beverly got bladed on Monday?

Deployment needs to be more strategic and should reflect a more thoughtful ROI approach. Not every km of road benefits as many people. Clear the areas first that help the most people.

This downtown crosswalk (taken yesterday) at 107st and Jasper Ave should not look like this - right in the middle of the street to navigate over - or go around closer to traffic.

 

[Yeggy]

It’s not either/or. They sucked or they have nothing they could do better.

I think most reasonable people understand the magnitude of snow and snowfall events this year. And would be understanding of some challenges. But like mentioned, we’ve got 3-4ft tall windrows in our downtown, brutal streets in our most urban residential area. But then Beverly got bladed on Monday?

Deployment needs to be more strategic and should reflect a more thoughtful ROI approach. Not every km of road benefits as many people. Clear the areas first that help the most people.

What we think, is not reality. You can clearly see that there are MANY people who can’t contextually understand how adverse events will disrupt the norm. Again this is enough of a human condition that we have sayings for it. Simple mind/simple answers for example.

 

[Payd1964]

Accept the awful response to the snowfall. Don't need to learn . . . don't need to do better. Got it.

 

[Yeggy]

Accept the awful response to the snowfall. Don't need to learn . . . don't need to do better. Got it.

no one said that, well except you just now.

To imply we wont learn, is silly and simplistic.

Failing to recognize that a different system, such as instant windrow removal alongside plowing, wont result in astronomical price increases, is silly and simplistic.

To think that, mid snow “crisis” we can just throw away the plan and just “do it differently” Is silly and simplistic.

Worrying about how one takes out the garbage whilst the house is burning is just silly.

In the spring, like we do almost every year, snow clearing will be reviewed.

 

[thommyjo]

no one said that, well except you just now.

To imply we wont learn, is silly and simplistic.

Failing to recognize that a different system, such as instant windrow removal alongside plowing, wont result in astronomical price increases, is silly and simplistic.

To think that, mid snow “crisis” we can just throw away the plan and just “do it differently” Is silly and simplistic.

Worrying about how one takes out the garbage whilst the house is burning is just silly.

In the spring, like we do almost every year, snow clearing will be reviewed.

This is the simplistic thinking ironically…

The picture shared about is a great example. The standards, training, quality assurance, and strategy are simply inadequate.

Also, are we forgetting that the last 4 years were nowhere near this snowfall and yet there were STILL a ton of complaints at different times? At a certain point, you can’t keep defending it all. Have nuance and understanding for the challenges of enormous snowfall. Sure. But don’t defend what’s clearly a lack of execution.

Pics all over yegwave today of 3-4ft tall windrows in front of driveways. Someone messed up. And now tens of thousands don’t trust our city to do the basics… I don’t blame them.

 

[Yeggy]

Of course there are windrows! We had a years worth of snow dumped on this massive city!

if yer internet diet is yegwave, yer just looking to be angry and anything.

 

[IanO]

 

[TAS]

Knack's comments

“I don’t think anyone is satisfied with how it’s gone. At the end of the day, what most people are saying is the current service level isn’t enough. Throughout 2026 we need to have an honest conversation with Edmontonians about what it actually costs to provide a core service like snow removal — and talk about how do we want to pay for those. Are we willing to do that through our property taxes, are we willing to make changes in other areas to help fund that?

He noted: Edmonton has significantly more roads than other Canadian municipalities of similar size, and most of those municipalities are spending more on snow removal than Edmonton.

Having returned from Harbin, China — Knack said, “I can say their snow removal is spectacular. They have huge investments and lots of crews working every single waking moment on their sidewalks and their roads.

“Just walking here from city hall, there’s a few sidewalks I think we need to do a better job on to make our city more accessible and easier to visit. That’s an example I think we can learn from them on.”

'Incredibly infuriating': Edmonton mayor says cars flouting snow parking ban should be towed

Andrew Knack says he wants snow removal to be major discussion point in next four-year budget cycle deliberations

ca.news.yahoo.com

Also noted in the story:
Edmonton also stopped using calcium chloride in 2019 in response to complaints about it causing vehicle rust, damaging property and polluting the river. Knack noted the province still uses the salt to maintain Anthony Henday Drive and other roadways.

 

[IanO]

 

[TAS]

By not clearing all the windrows downtown, it really is creating some messy, ugly and even unsafe conditions with the melting/freezing see-saw.