Sidewalk Snow Clearing in Saskatoon

People moving to Saskatoon from cities that clear their own sidewalks are often surprised to learn that the public walk across the front of their property is theirs to handle, on a clock that starts when the snow stops.

Saskatoon Snow Co clears sidewalks as scheduled work rather than an add-on nobody gets to.

What the Bylaw Actually Asks For

The City maintains its own network of priority routes, pathways, and the walks around civic property. The sidewalk crossing a private frontage is a different thing. It stays with the owner of the property behind it under the Sidewalk Clearing Bylaw, which allows 48 hours after a snowfall for a residential property and 24 hours for a non-residential one.

The bylaw also says where the snow goes. Cleared snow is meant to be placed on private property rather than pushed into the street, which keeps drainage working and stops the ridge from being handed to the next plow pass.

The obligation does not depend on who is living there, whether they are physically able, or how the snow arrived. That last part generates the most frustration, because a grader running the street throws a considerable share of the road’s snow directly onto a walk that was cleared an hour earlier.

Corner Lots

A mid-block property has one length of sidewalk. A corner property has two, plus the curb ramps at the intersection, and those ramps collect windrow from both streets.

It is regularly three times the work of a neighbouring lot for the same house. We quote corner properties on the frontage that actually exists, and it is worth flagging when you call rather than being surprised by the number.

Clearing to the Concrete

A driveway with a thin packed layer left on it is annoying. A sidewalk with the same layer is a hazard, because foot traffic polishes compacted snow into a glazed surface far faster than tires do.

Sidewalks get cleared down to the surface and treated. Which product depends on the temperature and on the age of the concrete, and the reasoning behind that choice is covered under ice control and salting.

The Things Beside the Sidewalk

Clearing a walk and leaving the things attached to it buried misses the point of the job. Bus stop pads, community mailbox approaches, and the swing of a fire hydrant all sit in the same strip and all matter to somebody.

Those get opened as part of the pass. For properties where the whole frontage needs handling together, sidewalk clearing is included in most residential snow removal plans, and larger walkway networks fall under condo and strata snow removal.

What's Included

• Public sidewalk cleared inside the bylaw window
• Corner lots with two frontages quoted properly
• Sand on the walking surface, not just the driveway
• Bus stops, mailboxes, and hydrant access kept open
• Included on most residential seasonal plans

Other Services We Offer in Saskatoon

• Residential Snow Removal
• Driveway Snow Removal
• Seasonal Snow Contracts
• Snow Removal for Seniors
• Snow Shoveling
• Commercial Snow Removal