Town of Banff

Snow Removal

Roads crew clearing snow

Living in Rocky Mountains means that we are exposed to extreme weather conditions throughout the year, including snow and ice. In the Banff townsite, snow can be expected from as early as October to as late as May, with occasional snow events occurring throughout the rest of the year. The Town has a small, but dedicated, team of staff who maintain our roads and clear snow.

Who maintains the roads in Banff?

Roads within the townsite are cleared by the Town of Banff streets crew, highways are cleared by Parks Canada.

The Town of Banff has one Streets Supervisor, one Streets Foreman, three full-time crew members and one part-time crew member. Staff shifts run from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m seven days per week and staff are on-call overnight. This means that there is a streets crew member available 24/7/365. On-call staff can be activated by the Streets Supervisor or the RCMP.

The Town owns and operates the following vehicles for winter road maintenance: three sander (two with plows) and one grader. In addition to road maintenance, the roads crew also takes care of pot holes, signs, street lights, traffic lights, banners, flags, Christmas lights and graffiti and assists with special events.

Snow Removal vs. Winter Road Maintenance

Streets in Banff are maintained based on the Snow Management Plan. Winter road maintenance consists of sanding all roads, maintaining a laneway wide enough for vehicles and regularly-scheduled daily inspections. The inspection includes checking all roads for icy/unsafe conditions, pot-holes and damage to the roads, damage or vandalism to street lights, traffic lights, street signs, banners and flags. Any items identified during the inspection are prioritized and repaired and maintained accordingly.

Snow Removal is the physical removal of snow. It is a comprehensive process which requires the entire crew and contracted haulers, 1 – 3 days notice of a “Temporary No Parking” zone (based on area) and maintenance of the snow dump. Because of these circumstances, snow removal is done only when required.

Snow removal in Banff is unique from other municipalities, where most municipalities have parking restrictions that allow snow removal to be scheduled weekly, the Town has temporary parking restrictions that require 1 – 3 days notice. During the notice period conditions frequently change and our streets crew must adapt to new priorities.

Road maintenance in Banff is done to ensure a wide enough roadway, it does not typically include snow removal in parking lanes.

In what order are the roads maintained?

Priority One: Our first priority is to clear the major arterial streets, as well as bus routes and access to emergency services.

Priority Two: Three & Four: These routes are assigned based on gradient and volume.

How you can help

• Be a good neighbour and remove snow from your sidewalk within 24-hours of a snowfall. It’s also a town bylaw that will be enforced by the Town Peace Officers. If you are concerned about a sidewalk that has not been cleared, please submit an Action Request; or call 403.762.1218.
• Be an angel and help your elderly and mobility-restricted neighbours clear their sidewalks. To volunteer to become a Snow Angel or if you would like to have a Snow Angel shovel for you, contact Sue Smythe, Senior Support Coordinator, 403-762-1253.
• Check on neighbours and family members who may need some extra assistance.
• Keep a shovel and supply of sand or gravel handy for sidewalks and driveways.
• Give yourself extra time to get to your destination, drive slowly or consider walking or taking Roam transit whenever possible.
• Obey the “Temporary No Parking” signs, so our street crew can clear the street without interference.
• Tune-up your vehicle for winter driving, check tires and alignment, battery, oil, heater, and keep your gas tank full.

More Information

• Town of Banff facebook  
• Banff Information Page
• Snow Shovelling tips
• Current weather conditions
• AMA Mountain Parks Road Conditions
• Parks Canada Banff National Park Road Condition Report
• Transport Canada – Winter Driving Safety Tips