A winter storm warning is in effect for Corner Brook and Vicinity. The City of Corner Brook would like to remind residents of the following:

• Snow means SLOW. Drive safely for the weather. Give yourself plenty of time to get where you are going, and prioritize travel. If it is not an essential trip, then stay home and stay cozy!
• Parking restrictions are in effect.  Cars parked on-street between midnight (12:00 a.m.) and 8:00 a.m. will be ticketed. On-street parking during any snow event delays our ability to efficiently plow our streets.
• Each snow clearing route takes approximately 12 hours to plow completely. If the snowfall is significant, some priority routes will require multiple cuts and delay the clearing of side-streets.
• The safety of our employees is very important, and sometimes the weather is too harsh for equipment to be safely operated. In these cases, snow clearing will stop, and continue at the earliest opportunity.

If you see an issue which needs to be addressed by the City, please call 637-1666 to report it. This line is monitored 24/7 and a ticket is created for follow-up with the appropriate department.

Be sure to tune in to your local news-media for up to date information, and also check Environment Canada for weather warnings. The City of Corner Brook will post any necessary advisories to this website, and our social media feeds.

Some winter FAQ’s:

How does the City decide the order of streets to plow?

There are 7 routes around the City for snow clearing purposes:  Townsite, O’Connell Drive, Country Road and surrounding area, Humbermouth, Sunnyslope and surrounding area, Elizabeth Street and surrounding area, and Curling.  During a snow event snow clearing equipment is sent to each route.  Not all routes are the same size or the same difficulty level so some are finished in less time than others.  When a piece of equipment finishes one route they either assist on the larger routes that are not finished or depending on the snow accumulation may have to start their same route again from the beginning. The City plows primary streets first, secondary streets next and side streets last. It is possible that primary and secondary streets have to be cleared a second time before side streets are cleared.

How does the City decide to salt, sand or plow the roads?

During periods of light snowfall when the temperature is at approximately -8 degrees Celsius or about the City will apply salt to the roads.  They will continue to apply salt as long as it appears to be working.  When the snow starts to accumulate faster than the salt can work, a decision is made to start plowing.  Once a road is plowed the City will sand the road (with a salt/sand mixture) to help melt the snow/ice remaining on the roads and provide traction for the hard packed material.  When temperatures are colder than -8 C only sand is applied to the roads.

If I have nowhere to throw my snow can I throw it into the street?

No.  Residents of the City of Corner Brook are reminded that pushing snow into any street/roadway, as well as around fire hydrants, is in violation of City By-Laws and Regulations.  Both practices place motorist and residents at risk. 

Can I put a snow marker on my property?

Plastic or Wooden snow markers are permitted.  Steel markers are not permitted due to the serious safety hazard they create. The City does not accept responsibility for plastic or wooden markers that are knocked down during snow clearing.

What streets does the sidewalk blower clear?

The sidewalk blower clears all sidewalks in the immediate vicinity of schools first.  Next, sidewalks in business districts are cleared as well as primary streets, followed by secondary and side streets as required.

Can potholes be fixed during the winter months?

Paving and compaction must be performed while the asphalt is sufficiently hot.  In our climate paving with hot asphalt is restricted to the warmer months because in winter the air temperature and compacted base will cool the asphalt too much before it is sufficiently compacted.  During these cold winter months pot holes are repaired using a product known as cold patch or cold asphalt.  Cold patch is soft sticky out of the bag, but it quickly hardens after application and the end result is a pavement patch with better strength but similar properties to hot asphalt.  It can be applied right from the package without heating.  Cold asphalt also does not require any special heavy rolling machines or special applicators as it can be shovelled or poured into a pothole and tamped down with a hand tool.