Costly emergency response not needed for latest snow event: City of Saskatoon

Crews won't clear residential roads this time because mobility is still possible and cost-cutting measures are needed, civic officials said.

The City of Saskatoon won’t clear residential roads of the recent snowfall because mobility is still possible and cost-cutting measures are needed due to previous events, civic officials said on Monday.

Activating the roadways emergency response plan would cost $18 million to $20 million, which is a substantial expenditure.

Roadways director Goran Saric said the recent weather met the first condition of activating the roadways emergency response plan by hitting 25 centimetres of accumulated snow, but crews are managing effectively without activating the plan and light vehicles can still get around.