With winter approaching, the City is sharing what residents can expect for snow clearing this season and how to stay informed.

Each classification of road is maintained using a snow clearing method specific to the type of road. Roads are cleared in a set order to keep people moving and emergency routes open:

• Priority 1 roads: Major routes such as 100 Street, 84 Avenue, 68 Avenue, Resources Road and Highway 40 (Wapiti Road) are cleared first.
• Priority 2 roads: Transit routes and main collector roads including Crystal Lake Drive, Mission Heights Drive, Poplar Drive and Royal Oaks Drive are cleared next.
• Priority 3 roads: Industrial and commercial roads owned by the City follow.
• Residential roads: Neighbourhood streets are cleared by contracted crews in a two-week rotation, once residential clearing is declared.

Residential clearing and what’s new this season

The residential snow clearing trigger has been lowered from 13 cm to 10 cm. This change means neighbourhood streets will be cleared sooner and more often through the winter.

Neighbourhoods remain on the same Week A / Week B rotation each time clearing is declared, providing predictability and reducing confusion.

A full guide to residential snow clearing is included in the Snow Clearing Brochure, which will be delivered by mail to all households and is available at City facilities and online at cityofgp.com/snow.

“Lowering the residential trigger and providing clear, consistent information helps set everyone up for a smoother winter,” said City of Grande Prairie Mayor, Jackie Clayton. “These updates reflect Council’s focus on improving quality of life and maintaining a community that works well in every season. Grande Prairie takes pride in being a winter city where we adapt, plan and keep moving together.”

Further service enhancement options have been referred to Budget 2026 deliberations for discussion.

Parking bans

During residential snow clearing, seasonal parking bans are activated to give crews space to work. Residents must move their vehicles off the street during their neighbourhood’s scheduled clearing day before crews arrive. Bans remain in place until work is complete.

Some arterial and collector roads have permanent parking ban signage, which is in effect only when permanent parking bans are declared by the City. These bans help keep high-traffic routes clear for plows Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Parking on Priority Roads

If a resident lives on a priority snow route, the resident may not park on the street in two scenarios:

• There is a windrow down the center (no parking until windrow has been removed).
• A parking ban has been declared (no parking from 7:00am to 9:00pm, weekdays).

Please note, both seasonal and permanent parking bans are declared at different times through the winter, it’s important for residents to stay updated through text or email alerts, service updates and social media posts.

Learn more about both types of parking bans a cityofgp.com/snow.

Stay informed

Residents are encouraged to use the following tools to stay informed about residential snow clearing and parking ban updates so crews can effectively maintain the roads:

• Sign up for text or email alerts to get snow clearing updates.
• Follow daily posts on social media during residential clearing.
• Check the online map to see when their street is scheduled.

For these tools and more information, visit cityofgp.com/snow or contact AccessGP by calling 311 or emailing info@cityofgp.com.