Whether you’re anxiously awaiting the arrival of that first big snowfall or dreading it, the good news is the City of Selkirk will be clearing windrows when that time comes.
Clearing of windrows – the pile of snow left behind in driveways after the grader goes by – was added to the city budget this year along with the purchase of two new pieces of machinery to assist in removal.
A service citizens asked for
Mayor Larry Johannson says snow affects everyone and windrow removal was something residents wanted.
“It’s a big deal, we all know it’s a big deal. We live in a place where we can get a lot of snow and our residents told us they want the pile left behind by the plow removed and the city listened,” Johannson said.
“The city has responded to the people, our staff are gearing up for another winter of snow removal and they are planning the delivery of the new service now. I encourage everyone to be patient and let the crews work to get comfortable offering this new service.”
How the new system will work
Dan McDermid, Director of Operations, says the grader will clear roads first and the machines will come by afterward to remove the windrows.
“The grader will come by just like in previous years, and then equipment will come by afterward to remove the snow from driveways,” McDermid said.
“It’s an added service and we’ll be implementing it on the first major snowfall. At this time, we can’t give a definitive timeframe for when the windrow will be removed, but once we’ve had the experience with the snow, with actually clearing driveways throughout the city, we’ll have a better idea.”
The city’s snow clearing policy states that streets, sidewalks and parking lots will be cleared within 72 hours of a snowfall event.
Ryan Sicinski, Manager of Public Works, says staff are aiming to be as efficient as possible but windrow removal may take up to four hours.
“There will be a learning curve so we ask people to be patient,” he said, noting that while the goal remains to have streets cleared within 72 hours, the addition of windrow removal will likely add to the total time required.
Windrows will only be cleared after a heavy snowfall, not after every snowfall.
Selkirk Council prioritized this new service
Selkirk CAO Duane Nicol said that Council prioritized the creation of this new service as part of the 2025 Budget and administration has worked to implement the direction.
“Council, in response to citizen requests, made this a priority and committed to addressing this issue. City staff spoke with other cities that provide this service and based on this guidance, are creating the process that is robust and designed to integrate into our already exceptional snow clearing and removal program. It’s a new service and so we’ll work out kinks over time, but we are excited to bring this enhancement to the citizens of Selkirk,” Nicol said.
Nicol also noted that the new program aligns with the spirit of its award-winning Climate Change Adaptation Strategy.
“It is a timely enhancement as we see the impacts of climate change. We are getting more chaotic storm systems and having additional equipment and staff that this new service provides will help ensure we have capacity to deal with those stronger and heavier snow events.”
“It is a timely enhancement as we see the impacts of climate change.”
Duane Nicol, CAO
There will not be a street parking ban during snow events, but Sicinski says people are strongly encouraged not to park on the street during or after a snowfall or at the very least not to park near driveways.
Vehicles parked close to driveways will make it difficult for equipment to get close enough to the driveway to do the best job.
Aligning with Selkirk’s Strategic Plan
Clearing windrows aligns with the city’s commitment to improving public services, accessibility, or quality of life. It’s specifically tied to Priority 3 of Selkirk’s Community Strategic Plan: Safe and Sustainable Infrastructure – smooth operation of transportation systems and Priority 4 – continued improvements in efficiency and convenience.
The city will continue clearing city-owned roads and sidewalks in order of priority. Priority 1 streets include the major north–south routes (Eveline, Jemima, Sophia, and Mercy) and the main east–west avenues (Manitoba, McLean, Vaughan, Morris, Strathnaver, and Greenwood). Residential streets are cleared once these major collector routes are open. Sidewalks are cleared after each snow event, following the same priority sequence as streets.