How the priority system works
| Tier | What it covers | Examples | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priority 1 | Main arterials, high-volume access, emergency corridors | 100 Street, 100 Avenue, 102 Street, 108 Avenue, 84 Avenue, 68 Avenue, Resources Road, Highway 40 / Wapiti Road | Within about 24 hours after snowfall ends |
| Priority 2 | Major collectors, bus routes, permanent snow routes | Crystal Lake Drive, Mission Heights Drive, Poplar Drive, Royal Oaks Drive | After Priority 1 |
| Priority 3 | City-owned roads in industrial and commercial areas | n/a | About 5 days |
| Residential | Neighbourhood streets, two-week A/B rotation | n/a | Triggered above 10 cm |
Crews work down the list. A second snowfall before they finish sends them back to Priority 1, which is why a residential street can wait longer than the rotation suggests in a busy stretch.
Where the City puts the snow
Priority 1 snow is pushed past the curb onto City boulevards. Priority 2 snow is windrowed to the centre of the road and then removed. Residential snow is piled at the street sides, on boulevards or in the centre of cul-de-sacs. Boulevard storage can extend up to four metres back from the curb, which matters if you have landscaping or irrigation near the road.
The City's snow dump on Park Road is for City use only.
Parking bans and snow routes
- Parking bans apply to Priority 1 and 2 roads. While a ban is active there is no parking Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Parking beside a windrow is prohibited at any time.
- On residential plow days, vehicles need to be off the street from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Under Traffic Bylaw C-1166, a vehicle left on a marked snow route after a declaration can be fined and towed at the owner's expense. Temporary snow routes run for 5 business days after declaration and can be extended by 3.
Windrows across your driveway
The City's residential snow clearing page now says crews will clear the windrows left across driveway entrances during residential plowing, and that residents may still need to clear a much smaller remaining area. That applies to residential driveway entrances on residential plow routes. It does not cover commercial approaches on Priority 1 and 2 arterials.
What the City never clears
- Private business roads and parking lots. The Priority 3 wording excludes them outright.
- Your driveway and private walkways.
- The public sidewalk beside your property. Bylaw C-1166 section 38.1 gives the owner or occupant 24 hours from the most recent deposit of snow or ice. In a multi-day storm the clock restarts each time it snows. The fine is $100, and the City can clear it, bill you and add the cost to your tax roll.
- Snow you push onto the road. $100 from a residential property. $1,000 from a commercial or industrial property under section 37.1A.
Outside the city limits
The County of Grande Prairie clears about 3,700 km of road on its own service levels: high-volume roads at 8 cm within 3 business days, gravel roads at 15 cm within 5 business days, and hamlets and residential subdivisions at 15 cm on roughly a 12-day cycle. Operations may be suspended at −35 °C or colder. County sidewalks fall under Community Standards Bylaw 3098. Sexsmith, Wembley, Beaverlodge and Hythe set their own rules.