Snow clearing and removal

The City of Côte Saint-Luc has rules to ensure that snow removal is done in a safe, timely and effective way. Residents are called upon to do their part to help make their roads safe this winter.

Once precipitation has stopped, the accumulated snow along the edge of these roadways is removed by our snow-blowing equipment.

Temporary no parking signs
The City of Côte Saint-Luc puts temporary no parking signs on many streets before our snow clearing operation. The goal is to prevent delays in snow clearing caused by vehicles parked on city streets.

Towing
If you see a temporary no parking sign near your parked vehicle, please move your vehicle. If you don't, your vehicle may be towed to an adjacent street and you will be fined $97. If your vehicle is towed, you can call 514-485-6960 to find out where it was moved.

Parking alternatives
If you see temporary no parking signs on your street, you might want to consider parking your car overnight at a nearby city parking lot. Call Côte Saint-Luc Public Security at 514-485-6960 to find the parking lot closest to your home. (Note: City parking lots may not be used overnight in normal times.

We also encourage residents to use all available parking spaces on their driveway or in their garage at all times--especially during and after a heavy snowfall.

Which streets are cleaned first?
For reasons for safety, the city prioritizes snow clearing and snow removal on primary streets and streets (or parts of streets) near public safety buildings (police, fire, hospitals, etc.), schools, and municipal buildings. Once snow is cleared from these main areas, work begins on secondary streets and then on tertiary streets.

Primary streets are the main roads that have the most traffic, including Côte Saint-Luc Rd., Cavendish Blvd., Fleet Rd., Westminster Ave., Kildare Rd., Mackle Rd., and Guelph Rd. Secondary streets are collector roads that have higher through traffic or high density buildings, such as Merton Rd., Parkhaven Ave., and others.

Tertiary streets are typically smaller roads with limited and non-through traffic.

How long does it take?
The city tries to clear snow as quickly as possible, however the time frame depends on the accumulation and the weather in the days following the snowfall. It may take up to five days to clear and remove the snow from all streets following a major snow storm with accumulations of more than 20cm.

Sidewalks
The city’s procedure is to clear at least one of the two sidewalks on each street immediately following a snowfall. Sometimes private contractors push snow from driveways onto clean sidewalks making them impassable. Other times, continuing snowfall covers up the sidewalks the city cleaned earlier or blowing snow covers up part of the clean sidewalk. As a result, it may look like the city didn’t clear one of the sidewalks when, in fact, it already has. We urge residents to speak to their contractors to remind them that pushing snow onto the sidewalk (or street) violates Côte Saint-Luc bylaws. We also ask that residents do their part by pushing snow onto their lawns and not onto sidewalks (and streets). The city will do its part by cleaning the sidewalks (and streets) in a timely manner.

Damage to property
To speed up snow removal, Côte Saint-Luc blows snow onto lawns. Our workers and contractors attempt to do this as carefully and safely as possible. In the event that you feel the city has damaged your private property, please note the date and time you noticed it. If possible, please photograph the damage. Send a letter explaining the incident with all evidence to: City Clerk, City Hall, 5801 Cavendish Blvd., Côte Saint-Luc, Quebec, H4W 3C3.

Road salt and sand
Côte Saint-Luc applies road salt and abrasives to main roads and intersections to maintain traffic flow and keep our roads safe when snow or frozen snow begins falling. Once 2.5 cm of snow have fallen, snow clearing operations begin.

Hours of operation
Snow clearing occurs at all hours. However, snow removal using snow-blowing equipment usually occurs between 7am and 7pm.

Safety
During snow removal, there is always a spotter in front of the snow blower and any obstruction will lead to an immediate halt in operations as a safety precaution.

Increased traffic near the snow dump site
During snow-removal operations, there will be increased heavy truck traffic in the areas around the environmentally-approved snow dump on Marc Chagall Ave. All Côte Saint-Luc trucks comply with all traffic regulations according to instructions given by the city.

To notify the City of Côte Saint-Luc about a snow-related problem, call 514-485-6800 and press 8888, or send an e-mail message to info@cotesaintluc.org.