Winter Wise Program

  1. Coquitlam Snow Response and Service Update

    For updates on the current weather situation and any possible impacts to City services, please visit coquitlam.ca/ServiceUpdate. 

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.

aDuring a snow event, City roads are plowed according to a priority system aimed at supporting 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 - Maintain 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, as well as 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).

City Facilities and Parks Snow Response 

During a snow event, parking lots and access walkways at City facilities are cleared according to a priority system aimed at supporting access to City-owned facilities. Additionally, multi-use pathways that connect transit or school routes, as well as pedestrian pathways that allow safe passage along routes fronting civic property to schools, are cleared if school is in session. 

Every effort is made to ensure parking facilities and pedestrian entrances and exits to Coquitlam City facilities including sidewalks are cleared for accessibility of all patrons. These priorities may change due to several factors including event intensity, severity and duration, personnel availability and equipment status.

Priority 1 City Facilities Snow Clearing

  • Resumption of access to City facilities including parking facilities and public access
  • City-owned facilities are defined as the pools, rink, community centres/activity centres, City Hall, Maillardville Community Centre, Place Des Arts, and Evergreen Cultural Centre, RCMP Public Safety Building and Firehalls
  • Maintenance of pedestrian entrances and exits to all city facilities (except Society buildings) including sidewalks that surround a facility but do not border the street

Society buildings such as Place des Arts, Public Libraries, Evergreen Cultural Centre, Mackin Museum, Foster Tennis and Hoy Creek Hatchery have pedestrian entrances cleared by operators of these facilities.

Priority 1 responses will occur when resources are available and may be advanced, or delayed, due to event intensity, severity or duration, personnel availability, and may depend upon the operating hours of each facility. 

Priority 2 Snow Sidewalk, Pathway & Multi-Use-Pathway Clearing

  • Sidewalks fronting open City facilities
  • Multi-Use Pathways connecting to transit
  • Frontages linking safe routes to school if schools are open

Priority 2 responses will typically occur after priority 1 responsibilities have been met; however, the response may be advanced, or delayed, due to event intensity, severity or duration and personnel availability. Pathways include multi-use pathways. 

The Boulevard Maintenance Bylaw (Bylaw 4853) does not apply to snow clearing by the City on sidewalks adjacent to City owned property.

  1. Parking Restrictions
  2. Waste Collection
  3. Resident Responsibilities