Snowfall Response

Resort Village of Tobin Lake Snow Removal Policy Approved by Council of the Resort Village of Tobin Lake Resolution #06/2021 Effective: January 21, 2021. The purpose of this policy is to establish safe guidelines for the maintenance staff to follow in order to ensure consistent practices for snow removal.  

During a snowfall event, the maintenance person will conduct an assessment. If the snowfall is sufficient enough to require plowing, the maintenance person will organize to have roads cleared at their discretion. 

When a heavy wind storm has occurred, the maintenance person will determine if it is necessary for all or some plows to clear possible snow drifts within the Municipality. When blizzard conditions exist, plowing will begin when it subsides. When plowing is required, the entire route is done in the most efficient order. Operator duty shifts are generally limited to a maximum of 11 hours per day for safety. Operations will be halted when: (a) service levels are reached, (b) coverage time has elapsed, (c) conditions are too hazardous or (d) reasonable accomplishments cannot be made. 

After a major storm, cleanup operations will be on-going for multiple days. In the event of a severe storm where it is deemed necessary that additional equipment will be required, the Municipality may hire individual contractors to assist the Municipality in clearing the roads in a timely manner. While it is acknowledged that voluntary assistance is sometimes provided by general ratepayers or contractors in the event of a severe storm event, ONLY those contractors or individuals that are contacted and approved by the Municipality’s maintenance person or administration to assist in snow plowing efforts will be financially compensated. The road and route determination will be decided on by the maintenance person. Typically, the order of snow plowing will follow the classification of roads. The roads that will be plowed first will be the main streets, the remaining streets, then back alleys. The roads will be plowed according to a route that allows the skid steer operator to complete the route with the minimal amount of back tracking. Personal driveways can be plowed after all roads have been completed for a charge of $50.00. Personal driveways will be done during the maintenance persons regular hours only. All areas of concern need to be visibly marked and if possible an in person meeting between the homeowner and maintenance person shall be done prior to discuss areas of concern such as septic tanks, retaining wall, crushed rock etc. Normal snow removal operations may result in a snow ridge along driveways. Residents are responsible for clearing this ridge. Snow from driveways shall not be placed on the municipal roadway or shoulders. Do not plow snow from driveways onto or across municipal roads. Piles of snow left on or near the road can freeze into a solid mass creating a hazardous situation for vehicles and snowplows. Accidents and damages caused by snow piles placed in the roadway may result in liability to the property owner. Questions or concerns regarding Municipal road snow removal should be directed to administration at (306) 862-2895 during normal business hours.