Snow and Ice

Together we can keep our sidewalks and roads clear to keep Victoria moving.

Victoria may be a city of gardens but we can still receive our share of snow!

When it snows, businesses and residents are required to clear the sidewalk fronting their property by 10am after a snowfall.  Learn about your snow clearing responsibilities and check out the safety tips below:

Snow Clearing for Businesses 

Snow Clearing for Residents 

Safe Winter Driving Tips

How to Shovel Snow Safely

Snow Clearing Priorities

The City of Victoria has a Severe Weather Response Plan to guide ice and snow removal operations in Victoria. To ensure emergency services and main arteries are maintained, we prioritize our snow clearing efforts as follows:

First Priority

  • roadways: emergency routes, major arterial streets, hills, bridge decks, and access routes to hospitals, fire stations and police headquarters
  • sidewalks/frontages: downtown transit stops and wheelchair ramps, and sidewalks fronting City properties downtown

Second Priority

  • roadways: senior care and homeless shelter facility streets; secondary and collector roads, left turn lanes with traffic loop detectors
  • sidewalks/frontages: transit stops and sidewalks fronting City properties outside of downtown; and community centre frontages

Third Priority

  • roadways: residential roads, City-owned surface parking lots, downtown parking spaces; bicycle lanes
  • sidewalks/frontages: Galloping Goose Trail and Westsong Walkway

Priority roadways and sidewalks/frontages may be completed up to 72 hours after a snowfall, provided that the snow stops falling. If City crews are in the process of clearing Second Priority routes and it starts snowing again, they will immediately return to clearing First Priority areas.

In the event of a severe snowstorm, it could take up to seven days or more for crews to complete Third Priority areas. When contacting the City, please allow us 72 hours to respond, or longer in the event of a severe snow storm.