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Winter Wise Program
Winter in the Lower Mainland can mean a variety of weather - from ice and snow, to wind and power outages, to rain and heavy flooding. The information on these pages will help you learn about the City’s operations during these events, as well as your responsibilities and how to be prepared for any emergency.
Report an Area of Concern During a Snow Event
To report an area of concern, please use our real-time Coquitlam Snow Response Request tool. Note that while snow is falling or until the primary roads are cleared, the City will not be addressing local roads or lanes.
During a snow event, City roads are plowed according to a priority system aimed at supporting the greater public safety and public transportation access:
- Priority 1 - Maintain accessibility for emergency vehicles and transit vehicles on collector, arterial and emergency and bus routes that connect major sections of the community.
- Priority 2 - Maintenance of safe travel routes and accessibility for vehicles on streets classified as Priority 2 routes, including non arterial and collector routes that provide access to school sites, community care facilities and subzones that contain a high percentage of local roads with grades in excess of 10%, during icing and storm conditions. Priority 2 route response may be advanced, or delayed, due to event intensity, severity or duration.
- Priority 3 - Maintain safe travel routes and accessibility for vehicles on all remaining routes. Clearing these routes may be advanced or delayed depending on the weather event’s intensity, severity or duration.
Private roads are not maintained by the City. Residents need to contact their Property Management Company or Strata for concerns related to their roads.
View the Coquitlam Snow Response Plan Map (PDF).
Resident Responsibilities
To help us better serve you during a winter weather event, please remember the following:
- During rain or heavy wind, please remember to clear the catch basin in front of your home to help avoid flooding. Locate catch basins adjacent to your property by using this map tool.
- After a snowfall, residents must clear their sidewalks within 10 hours. Remember to shovel the snow to the back of your driveway. If you shovel onto the street, the plow will push the snow back onto your driveway and sidewalk.
- When salting to prevent ice build up before a snow or frost event, please do not use excessive amounts of salt as excessive sodium chloride levels can have a negative effect on freshwater aquatic life when the ice and snow melts and the water enters our storm drains.
- The recommended application rate of salt is 20 grams per square metre, which is approximately one handful of salt.
- If you need help shoveling snow, our Snow Angels may be able to help you.
- During heavy snowfall, garbage trucks may not be able to access your street. Simply bring the carts in that night, and put them out again the next morning. If your carts are still not collected the next day, bring them back inside until your next regularly scheduled collection day.
- There are certain areas of the City with parking restrictions from November 1 to March 15. Please see the "Parking" tab for more information.
Parking Restrictions
Several types of parking restrictions are implemented in certain areas of Coquitlam to assist City crews to plow streets clear from curb to curb making the streets safer for winter driving during snow events.
From November 1 to March 15 each year, parking restrictions prohibit on-street parking in certain areas.
- In some areas, the restrictions are both sides of the street. Some restrictions are on one side of the street only. While a third type of restriction, is 'activated' every time snow is in the forecast until the end of the snow event and the streets are clear.
In all cases, residents are expected to not park on the street - all vehicles should be parked in a driveway, garage, carport or other area of their private property - this applies to residents in secondary suites as well. Landlords must provide areas for their residents to park off the street.
Drivers and residents are asked to please make note and follow all posted parking restrictions. In addition to allowing our crews to make our streets safer, this will prevent you from having to dig out your vehicle, and will also prevent you receiving a ticket or having your vehicle towed.
Restrictions in Place and What You Need to Do
Please see the list of streets below and look at the associated map to see what restrictions are in place at that location.
For the locations where the restriction is ‘activated’ when there is snow in the forecast, the City will advise via the following methods:
- Via email to subscribers of our Winter Parking Restriction NotifyMe notification. Please subscribe here.
- Via the City’s social media channels: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – please follow us!
Streets and Restrictions
Please click on each map below to see what restriction is in place at that location.
- Chilko Drive (PDF)
- Dolphin Street (PDF)
- Highland Drive (PDF)
- Blue Mountain Street (PDF)
- Lansdowne Drive (PDF)
- Steeple Drive (PDF)
- Hamber Court (PDF)
- Pritchett Place (PDF)
- Corona Crescent (PDF)
- Westwood Plateau (PDF): Berkshire Crescent, Braeside Place, Chartwell Green Lane, Johnson Street, Norwood Court, Parkway Boulevard, Pinetree Way, Plateau Boulevard and Turnberry Lane.
Waste Collection During Snow Events
In the event of hazardous road conditions due to snow and/or ice, there may be delays or a temporary cancellation of collection services. If garbage, green cart and/or recycling has not been collected by 7 p.m., please bring it in for the night. The next morning set carts out curbside after 5:30 a.m. If carts are still not collected please bring them in again and wait until your next regularly scheduled collection day.
Questions regarding missed garbage and green cart collection should be directed to Waste Connections of Canada at 604-636-3520.
Questions regarding missed recycling collection should be directed to GFL Environmental at 604-529-4011.
Sign Up for Notifications
The best way to get timely information about garbage collection is through the City’s ReCollect app, available for download in the Google Play or App store. Sign up for instant phone, text or email alerts regarding service disruptions and delays here or by downloading the free Coquitlam Curbside Collection app.