Keeping City Streets Cleared of Snow and Ice

Prince Edward Island’s winter weather can take a toll on our streets and sidewalks, but we have crews prepared to handle snowy and icy conditions.

The Summerside Public Works Department’s snow removal equipment includes:

7 Snow Plows
1 loader
1 Parking Lot Plow
1 Backhoe
3 Widening Snowblowers attachments (for the plows)
4 Sidewalk Blades/Blowers/Salters
2 Salt Trucks
3 Contracted snow plows (1 additional for spare use).

Snow removal is primarily the responsibility of the Municipal Services Department, Public Works Division of the City of Summerside.

The City’s Police and Public Works staff monitors street conditions and, when required, enforces snow-related procedures.

Equipment personnel keeps plows and salt trucks ready to conduct repairs as necessary during stormy conditions.

We ask our residents to play their part in complying with snow-related ordinances and by reporting slippery intersections and other unsafe areas.

During the winter months, our crews are responsible for clearing and salting:

117.7 kms of streets
55.1 kms of sidewalks
6.3 km of boardwalks
33 cul-de-sacs
15 municipal building parking lots

The strategy used to plow streets, sidewalks, and other city infrastructure / facilities depends on the interaction of the following factors:

Time the snow began
Duration of snowfall
Type of snow (light/dry or wet/heavy)
Temperature before and after snowfall
High winds - drifting
Snow accumulation
Available equipment - breakdowns
Available staff

Snowstorm Operations Timelines:

In certain situations, crews may be called to salt the streets before the snow starts or during the first few hours of snow fall.
When 5 cm of snow has accumulated on roadways, personnel call-out occurs. Plow operating personnel begin plowing streets, municipal parking lots, and cul-de-sacs.
Personnel are called in for street salting, sidewalk plowing and salting operations 2 hours after road plowing starts.
Approximately 4.5 hours after roadway plowing, start and stop of snowfall, all streets should be opened.
Approximately 10 hours after roadway plowing, start and stop of snowfall, all sidewalks should be opened.

This timing does get adjusted based on equipment and staff availability.

Snow Clearing Priorities

Primary Roads: Plowing begins as soon as possible
Secondary Roads: Plowing begins after primary routes are passable.
Municipal parking lots: Plowing to occur as required. This includes both Fire Halls, the Police Department, City Hall, the Waste Water Pollution plant, the electric plant, Credit Union Place other municipal parking lots.

The following day, some touch up work is done and re-salting occurs where necessary.

Winter maintenance operations may be suspended when a winter storm causes blinding conditions that affect the safety of personnel and of residents who should not be on these roads when these conditions occur. We ask for the public’s patience as our crews always do their best to keep roads clear.

Emergency calls (902-432-1201 / 911) from the City Police and City Fire Departments regarding accidents or medical or other emergency situations are given top priority. Upon request of the appropriate agency, the Public Works Department will provide assistance as necessary. Operations personnel are contacted by the City Police Dispatch personnel during these times.

Note: This is also the case while plowing is ongoing in any areas which are not yet cleared. High priority assigned to snow and ice control, and almost all other Public Works operations become secondary to snow fighting operations.