Snow Clearing

Snow Clearing

The Town of Gander has an extensive snow clearing strategy, operating out of the Municipal Works Depot on McCurdy Drive. Frequently, crews work tirelessly around the clock to clear the streets and keep the roads safe.

Please be advised that winter parking restrictions are in effect from Nov. 1, up to and including April 30, annually.

During this time, no vehicle shall be parked on any street between midnight and 8:00 am, regardless of weather conditions, nor may any vehicle be parked such as to impede or interfere with snow clearing operations at any time of the day or night, at any time of the year.

Citizens are also reminded that it is illegal to throw, sweep, shovel or place snow or ice from any private property upon any town street or sidewalk, or such that it obstructs access to fire hydrants.

Snow clearing regulations include Sections 23-26 of Town of Gander Traffic Regulations, which are available for inspection at Town Hall or in PDF format.

The Town thanks residents for their patience and cooperation in keeping our streets and sidewalks clear and safe throughout the year.

Snow Clearing: Frequently Asked Questions

 2023 Snow Plan

Policies & Procedures

• Collector Streets
  The network of streets that connect various community areas with the commercial areas and with the Provincial Road network. They carry medium to large volumes of traffic at medium speeds. The objective is to keep collector streets as bare as possible. Plowing will be curb to curb and should be continued throughout the storm. Salt should be applied if required after plowing is completed. If temperatures are too low to remove ice, the ice can be tolerated for a period of time as long as it does not create a hazard at intersections.
• Local Streets
  The network of streets that connect various community areas with the commercial areas and with the Provincial Road network. They carry medium to large volumes of traffic at medium speeds. Some ice or packed snow can be tolerated on local streets as long as it does not become deep enough to cause rutting. If these streets become icy, however, they should be treated with salt or abrasives, particularly at hills and intersections. Plowing should begin as soon as possible after the conditions on the Collector Streets are under control. Plowing of all streets should be completed within four to five hours after the end of the storm.
• Parking Lots
  Municipal Parking Lots in the commercial area that are plowed and maintained by the Town. The objective should be to have all Parking Lots plowed before 9:00 a.m. on all business days. Sometimes, because of other priorities, this may not be possible. On these occasions, an effort should be made to plow a minimum of 20% of each Parking Lot before 9:00 a.m. The remainder of the Parking Lots can be plowed later after all streets have been completed.
• Service Roads
  Providing access to municipal utilities. Service roads should be plowed as soon as possible after the storm is over. Service Roads in the business area should be plowed before 9:00 a.m. when possible. The Service Road to the rear of Gander Academy and all school Bus Stops should be plowed before school opens.
• Snow Removal
  When plowing has been completed after a major snow storm, it is often necessary to widen the streets by blowing it onto lawns or similar areas. Snow blowing should begin immediately after all plowing has been completed. Each street should be widened on one side before widening of the second side begins. Trucking of snow to snow disposal dumps is often necessary from the streets in the commercial area, from parking lots and from cul de sacs. This work should take place after all streets have been widened.
• Sidewalks
  Sidewalk snow clearing is performed while streets are being plowed. If necessary, a loader-mounted snow blower will widen streets and sidewalks. Priority is given to sidewalks near the schools and the commercial areas where pedestrian traffic is highest. When sidewalks become icy, sand should be applied to the sidewalk surface.
• Fire Hydrants
  All fire hydrants are clearly marked so that they can be found even when buried in snow. The fire hydrants are to be cleared after snow plowing operations have been completed. The work is carried out by loaders, plus maintenance men with shovels. Because of the danger of breaking off a hydrant, this work should proceed during daylight hours only, when visibility is best.