Roads

Volker Stevin maintains the highways and traffic lights on highways 1A and 22 within the Town for Alberta Transportation. Please call 888-877-6237 or visit Volker Stevin’s website.

Operations will assess requests to install Disabled Parking signs on a public street, if warranted. The resident must provide proof of a permanent disabled parking placard AND not have off-street parking. 

Snow plowing begins after three centimetres of snow accumulates, or when drifting snow impedes traffic movement.

Priority is given to emergency routes. Crews plow and sand designated priority routes on a regular basis, unless roadways are rendered impassable to the motoring public and emergency vehicles.

These ridges are called windrows. Crews work to keep blocked driveways to a minimum, however, there may be times when this is necessary to facilitate snow clearing. 

Plows need to go a minimum speed in order to throw the snow off to the side, and we try not to throw the snow any further than necessary. In some cases, however, the sidewalks are too close to the curb to avoid getting snow on them.

Operators are instructed to stay back from the curb to allow storm water to reach catch basins, and prevent any damage to the curb and sodded areas.

If you park on a major arterial thoroughfare (for example, Quigley Drive or a residential collector route) during a snow event, there is a chance that a snowplow could pass and push snow around your car. If possible, please use off-street parking during snow storm cleanup

During the initial cleanup stage, the focus is to ensure all designated priorities are plowed and sanded. For the crews to plow all the snow from one side of the street to the other (for example, in parks and open boulevards), they require traffic control to ensure the safety of themselves and the motoring public. This procedure will only be initiated when road conditions are stabilized and staffing becomes available.

Yes - Snow Removal Bylaw 01/2009.

Snow or ice deposited on sidewalk(s), front or abutting occupied premises is the responsibility of the occupier. The occupier of the premises must remove snow or ice for their portion of the sidewalk(s) within 48 of the snow or ice being deposited.

When possible, shovel snow and ice onto your property. The Snow Removal Bylaw requires a person removing snow or ice from sidewalk(s) or driveways to no deposit snow or ice on any street, highway or boulevard. They should not impede storm sewer run off or block access to any storm sewer grate or fire hydrant. 

Snow is only cleared from paved municipal pathways, not the pathways with red shale.

When the weather permits, the Roads Division cleans paved streets and Town-owned parking lots. They take all practical measures to ensure the protection of the environment by reducing storm water pollutants from entering our local water courses through the storm sewer system.

Some additional reasons for winter sweeping include: 

• cleanliness
• dust control
• accident prevention (because of hazards caused by loose gravel) 
• material cleaned off the roadways in winter means faster cleanup in springtime

• During a snowstorm, avoid parking along emergency routes, arterial thoroughfares and collectors.
• Exercise extreme care when driving in inclement weather. Driving on snow packed and icy roads requires your full attention. Allow extra room between you and the vehicle ahead of you.
• Remember to brake slowly.
  
  Keep your windshield clean at all times.
• During times of reduced visibility, watch for bicycles, disabled individuals and pedestrians, especially around schools. If at all possible, do not drive during a storm: it is much safer to stay at home and wait until conditions improve.
• Never assume that because the temperature is above zero, the roads are safe. Road salt does not work miracles and is not effective below -10 degrees Celsius.

If water has accumulated on the road near your house, on your driveway or front lawn, you may be located near a trap low. A trap low is a device that slows the flow of water into stormwater ponds; it is designed to hold the water on the street (properties on streets with trap lows are graded to keep the water away from foundations).

If rainwater accumulation has not drained 24 hours after the rain stops, please contact  Operations at 403-851-2590. 

Stormwater facilities are specifically created to take run-off from local streets and filter it before it flows into the river.

Stormwater facilities are never safe for recreational use (skating, walking) for a number of reasons:

• inlet and outlet pipes keep water continuously flowing beneath the frozen top layer
• the ice surface varies in depth across the whole surface. It may appear thick in some areas, but other areas may have little or no ice —you won’t be able to tell by looking.  Snow often obscures holes in the inconsistent ice
• salt content in the runoff from roads impedes the water’s ability to freeze (remember: this is salt used to melt ice on the roads)
• Town crews actually lower the water level under the ice to reduce H2S gas levels. This creates a dangerous air pocket between any ice that has already formed and the top of the water