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Snow Removal

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#TheDownLowOnSnow 

The City of Swift Current’s Streets and Roadways Department, under the Infrastructure & Operations Division, operates the Snow and Ice Management Program. They are responsible for effectively maintaining the City’s roadways, sidewalks, active transportation routes, and pathways, as weather conditions permit. There are approximately 180 km of streets, and 40 km of pathway/sidewalk that require snow removal.

Image of street with snow piled up, words Down Low on Snow overlaid with City logo in upper left corner

Factors that determine the City's snow clearing priorities are:

  • Access for Emergency Response & Emergency Medical Services
  • Access for School Buses & City Transit
  • Hazard Reduction in icy road conditions
  • Minimize Impact to daily commuters and industry

Due to the extremes of Western Canadian winters, hazardous road conditions may periodically exist despite the City’s best efforts. The safety of streets and roadways crews operating equipment in blizzard conditions is a factor that is carefully considered before deployment.

#TheDownLowOnSnow… Removal & Ice Control

Priorities Model

To respond effectively after a snow event, enacting a Priorities Model for snow removal is a standard practice among municipalities.

See FULL MAP HERE to see the entire priority street map at-a-glance. 

Priority 1 MAP
Priority 2 MAP (day and night)
Priority 3 MAP
Priority 4 MAP
Priority 5 MAP

Priority 1 - Emergency routes and Major Arterial Roadways

  • North Service Road
  • South Service Road
  • 11th Ave NW (Between North Service Rd & Battleford Tr)
  • Memorial Dr (Between Springs Drive and bridge on Memorial Dr)
  • James Way

Priority 2 - Major Collector Roadways and School Zones

(PRIORITY 2 DAY SHIFT, BLUE)

  • Battleford Trail (Between Colonel Otter Dr & Central Ave N)
  • Central Ave N (Between Battleford Tr & North Service Rd)
  • George St (Between Central Ave N & 6th Ave NE)
  • Kirkaldie Ave
  • North Railway St (Between Lac Pelletier Tr & 11th Ave NW)
  • South Railway St (Between Lac Pelletier Tr & Memorial Dr)
  • Gladstone St (Between 11th Ave SW & Gibbs St)
  • Marston St (Between 11th Ave SW & 4th Ave SE)
  • 5th Ave SW (South of Marston St)
  • Chinook Park Way (South Railway St & 6th Ave SE)
  • River Dr
  • 13th Ave SE (Between 12th Ave SE & Gladstone St)
  • Dahl St and Friesen St (between 13th Ave SE & 18th Ave SE)
  • 17th Ave SE
  • 18th Ave SE
  • Gladstone St (Between 13th Ave SE & Alexander Dr)
  • Knight Crescent
  • Oman Drive
  • Fenton Drive
  • Fenton Crescent
  • Wall St
  • Industrial Dr
  • Chaplin St E (Between 19th Ave NE & Memorial Dr)
  • Hillcrest Dr
  • 13th Ave NE (Between Chaplin St E & North Hill Dr)
  • North Hill Drive (Between 7th Ave NE and South Service Rd)
  • Riverdene Park Dr
  • 7th Ave NE (Between Lorne St E & Connaught Dr)
  • Connaught Dr (Between 7th Ave NE & 9th Ave NE)

(PRIORITY 2 NIGHT SHIFT, YELLOW)

  • 5th Ave SW
  • Hayes Dr (Between 5th Ave SW & 2th Ave SE)
  • 2th Ave SE
  • Aberdeen St (Between 4th Ave SE & 6th Ave SE)
  • 6th Ave SE (Between Aberdeen St & Elgin St)
  • 11th Ave NW (Between North Railway St & North Service Rd)
  • Chaplin St (Between 11th Ave NW & 3rd Ave NE)
  • Cheadle St (Between 11th Ave NW & 3rd Ave NE)
  • North Railway St (Between 11th Ave NW & 3rd Ave NE)
  • Herbert St (Between 2nd Ave NW & 2nd Ave NE)
  • Sidney St (Between 2nd Ave NW & 2nd Ave NE)
  • Lorne St (Between 2nd Ave NW & 1st Ave NW)
  • Dufferin St (Between 2nd Ave NW & Central Ave N)
  • Grey St (Between 2nd Ave NW & Central Ave N)
  • 2nd Ave NW (Between North Railway St & Chaplin St)
  • 1st Ave NW (Between North Railway St & Grey St)
  • Central Ave N (Between North Railway St & North Service Rd)
  • 1st Ave NE (Between North Railway St & Herbert St)
  • 2nd Ave NE (Between North Railway St & Sidney St)
  • 3rd Ave NE (Between North Railway St & Chaplin St)
  • George St (Between 6th Ave NE & North Hill Dr)
  • Robert St (Between 6th Ave NE & 9th Ave NE)
  • 9th Ave NE (Between Robert St & George St)
  • 11th Ave NE (Between George St & South Service Rd)
  • Saskatchewan Dr (Between Memorial Dr & Valley Park Place)
  • Douglas Dr (Between Crestridge Ave & Sask Dr)
  • Woodrow Lloyd Place

Priority 3 - Local Collector roadways, industrial and business areas

  • 6th Ave SE (Between South Railway St & Aberdeen St)
  • Friesen St (Between Chinook Park Way & Dahl St)
  • Dahl St (Between Friesen St & 13th Ave SE)
  • Alexander Dr (Between Airport Rd & Gladstone St)
  • 19th Ave NE (Between Hillcrest Dr & Chaplin St)
  • Chaplin St (Between 19th Ave NE & 3rd Ave NE)
  • 10th Ave NE (Between Chaplin St & North Railway St)
  • North Railway St (Between 11th Ave NE & 2nd Ave NE)
  • North Railway St (Between 11th Ave NW & 2nd Ave NW)*
    • *if not completed in Priority 2
  • Cheadle St (Between 11th Ave NW & 2nd Ave NW)*
    • *if not completed in Priority 2
  • Chaplin St (Between 11th Ave NW & 2nd Ave NW)*
    • *if not completed in Priority 2
  • 11th Ave NW (Between North Railway St & North Service Rd)*
    • *if not completed in Priority 2
  • 6th Ave NE
  • George St (Between Central Ave N & 3rd Ave NW)
  • George St (Between 6th Ave NE & Central Ave N)*
    • *if not completed in Priority 2
  • Battleford Trail (Between Central Ave N & Springs Dr)
  • Springs Dr

Priority 4 - Residential Main Arterials

  • Colonel Otter Dr
  • Highland Dr
  • Matador Dr
  • Cypress Dr
  • Cowie Dr (Between Cypress Dr & Walsh Tr)
  • Walsh Tr
  • Pelletier Dr
  • Macoun Dr (Between Pelletier Dr & Robert St)
  • Robert St (Between Jackson Dr & Central Ave N)
  • Jackson Dr
  • Herbert St (Between 11th Ave NW & 2nd Ave NW)
  • Herbert St (Between 2nd Ave NE & 4th Ave NE)
  • Lorne St (Between 9th Ave NW & 2nd Ave NW)
  • Lorne St (Between 1st Ave NW & 4th Ave NE)
  • 8th Ave NW (Between Grey St & Chaplin St)
  • 4th Ave NE (Between George St & Chaplin St)
  • Bell St (Between 9th Ave NE & 19th Ave NE)
  • Field Dr
  • Hayes Dr (Between Marston St & 5th Ave SW)
  • Gladstone St (Between Gibbs St & 6th Ave SE)
  • Mcintosh St (Between 1st Ave SW & 6th Ave SE)
  • Friesen St (Between 1st Ave SW & 6th Ave SE)
  • Central Ave S
  • Dodds St
  • 4th Ave SE

Priority 5 - Residential Main Arterials 

  • Cooper Dr
  • Maxwell Dr
  • Palliser Dr
  • Lister Kaye Crescent
  • Macoun Dr (Between Pelletier Dr & Lister Kaye Cres)
  • Grey St (Between 6th Ave NW & 6th Ave NE)
  • Sidney St (Between 10th Ave NW & 2nd Ave NW)
  • Sidney St (Between 2nd Ave NE & 4th Ave NE)
  • 9th Ave NE (Between Connaught Dr & Lorne St)
  • Lorne St (Between 9th Ave NE & 13th Ave NE)
  • 11th Ave NE (Between Bell St & Chaplin St)
  • Macdonald Dr
  • Macdonald Crescent (Between Whyte Ave & Hillcrest Dr)
  • Whyte Ave (Between Macdonald Crescents)
  • Gibbs St
  • Aspen Dr
  • Valley Point Way

 

Problem Areas – those identified will be monitored during moderate (5 to 10 cm) to major (greater than 10 cm) snow events to ensure blockages are cleared to a drivable surface. Wind plays a large factor in blockages, which requires increased monitoring. Spot maintenance may be initiated if significant local drifting conditions or deep ruts occur.

Snow operations typically begin after the snow event has ended, with the exception to an extreme storm event – operations may commence during a storm to ensure the highest priority routes are passable.

When snow plowing, a snow ridge is deposited along the street called a “windrow”. The City removes windrows in a timely manner, typically within 48 hours. There may be occasions when removing the windrows must be a lower priority due to fresh snow. Driving lanes will be open and efforts are made to ensure parking lanes are not blocked.

In the case of continuous snow events, operations are repeated in order of priority. This means that crews may need to leave a lower priority street to return to a higher priority street to start over. Responsiveness to conditions is a key responsibility and requires adaptability of resources.

Ice Control

The application of road sand improves traction and is applied as conditions warrant, according to the priority sequence, with special attention given to intersections, hills, curves, school zones and bridge decks.

 MAIN MAP 2025 2026

#TheDownLowOnSnow…Glossary

Windrow – the snow ridge deposited along the street by graders during snow clearing. 
Priority 1 – Emergency routes and major arterial roadways
Priority 2 – Major collector roadways and school zones
Priority 3 – Local collector roadways, industrial and business areas
Priority 4 - Residential Main Arterials
Priority 5 - Residential Main Arterials
Moderate Snow Event – (5 to 10 cm)
Major Snow Event – (Greater than 10cm)

Questions or Concerns?

View our FAQ's here.

Contact: eng@swiftcurrent.ca or 306-778-1625 for the 24 HR Snow Line. These messages will be addressed based on priority.