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Winter Wise Program
Weather Event Updates - Thursday, December 18
Update - 2:30 p.m.
We have both rain and wind weather alerts issued for Metro Vancouver including Coquitlam by Environment Canada. Forecast is 50 - 70 mm of rain and southwesterly winds with gusts from 50 - 80 km/h.
- Motorists and pedestrians should exercise extreme caution when traveling in heavy rain, and treat any intersection with a traffic signal that is blank or flashing as an all-way stop.
- Watch out for and avoid walking or driving through pooling water on roads and pathways. Do not wade through flood water.
- Watch for falling trees or branches and postpone hiking through forested parks and trails, in particular pathways along ravines or steeper slopes, due to increased landslide risk.
- Never touch hanging power lines.
- Call 9-1-1 in the case of an emergency.
- Visit coquitlam.ca/HeavyRainfall for more tips.
City crews will be out across the city monitoring conditions and responding where needed. Public Works crews will continue to keep drainage intakes and catch basins clear, respond to downed trees, and monitor pump stations across the city.
Parks crews continue to assess parks and trails, particularly near waterways, to help ensure public safety. Please respect posted signage and avoid closed areas.
- Temporary Park and Trail closure
- Beach access at both Galette and Hockaday Parks remain closed due to increasing water levels and changing flow conditions along the Coquitlam River
- The west side of Mundy Lake is still flooded
- The trail behind Mundy Field #3 remains closed due to bridge damage that will require repairs (will likely be closed for some time)
- An additional closure is the trail from Miller Park to the Banting School fields due to conditions resulting from the recent storm event
- The Booth Creek Ravine trail, off Laurentian, has been closed due to a small landslide
Thank you for your patience.
Winter Preparedness and Safety
Winter in the Lower Mainland can mean a variety of weather - from ice and snow, to wind and power outages, to heavy rainfall and flooding. The information on this page and links will help you learn about the City’s operations during these events, as well as your responsibilities and how to be prepared for any emergency.
Get Prepared for Winter
Before a winter storm arrives, it's very important that you plan ahead so you can comfortably and safely carry on during the winter season.
Please visit our Winter Preparedness and Safety webpage for information on:
- preparing your home and vehicle,
- tips for power outages, and
- personal winter safety tips.
Report an Area of Concern During a Snow Event
To report an area of concern, please use our real-time Coquitlam Snow Response Request tool. Note: While snow is falling or until primary roads are cleared, the City will not be addressing local roads or lanes.
Parking When Snow is in the Forecast
The City of Coquitlam’s snow plows cannot deliver their best service when cars are parked on critical roadways. When there is snow in the forecast, do not park on the street. All vehicles should be parked in a driveway, garage, carport or other area of their private property - this applies to residents in secondary suites as well. Landlords must provide areas for their residents to park off the street.
Activated No Parking Restriction - Subscribe to NotifyMe Email
The City has implemented a type of parking restriction that is 'activated' every time snow is in the forecast until the end of the snow event and the streets are clear.
If you live in any of the locations listed below, the City will advise that the restriction has been activated via email to subscribers of our Winter Parking Restriction NotifyMe email – please subscribe to help prevent receiving a ticket and having your vehicle towed. The City will also advise via the City’s social media channels - please follow us.
- Blue Mountain Street
- Bramble Lane
- Chilko Drive
- Dolphin Street
- Corona Crescent in the Chineside area
- Hamber Court and Pritchett Place on Burke Mountain
- Highland Drive
- Keets Drive
- Lansdowne Drive
- Solar Court
- Strawline Hill Street
- Westwood Plateau - Berkshire Crescent, Braeside Place, Chartwell Green, Firestone Place, Johnson Street (above David Ave.), Norwood Court, Parkway Boulevard (from Panorama Drive to Plateau Boulevard), Pinetree Way (above David. Ave.), Plateau Boulevard, Topaz Court and Turnberry Lane.
If you live on Steeple Drive, please review this map and note the area and restrictions from November 15, 2025 to March 15, 2026.
Resident Responsibilities
To help us better serve you during a winter weather event, please remember the following:
- During rain or heavy wind, please remember to clear the catch basin in front of your home to help avoid flooding. Locate catch basins adjacent to your property by using the map tool on our Adopt-a-Catch Basin webpage and also consider, adopting a catch basin.
- After a snowfall, residents must clear their sidewalks within 10 hours. Remember to shovel the snow to the back of your driveway. If you shovel onto the street, the plow will push the snow back onto your driveway and sidewalk.
- When salting to prevent ice build up before a snow or frost event, please do not use excessive amounts of salt as excessive sodium chloride levels can have a negative effect on freshwater aquatic life when the ice and snow melts and the water enters our storm drains.
- The recommended application rate of salt is 20 grams per square metre, which is approximately one handful of salt.
- If you need help shoveling snow, check out our Snow Angels program to determine if you qualify for assistance.
City Roads and Streets
During a snow event, City roads are plowed according to a priority system aimed at supporting public safety and public transportation access:
- Priority 1 - Maintain accessibility for emergency vehicles and transit vehicles on collector, arterial and emergency and bus routes that connect major sections of the community.
- Priority 2 - Maintenance of safe travel routes and accessibility for vehicles on streets classified as Priority 2 routes, including non-arterial and collector routes that provide access to school sites, community care facilities, as well as subzones that contain a high percentage of local roads with grades in excess of 10%, during icing and storm conditions. Priority 2 route response may be advanced, or delayed, due to event intensity, severity or duration.
- Priority 3 - Maintain safe travel routes and accessibility for vehicles on all remaining routes. Clearing these routes may be advanced or delayed depending on the weather event’s intensity, severity or duration.
Private roads are not maintained by the City. Residents need to contact their Property Management Company or Strata for concerns related to their roads.
View the Coquitlam Snow Response Plan Map (PDF).
City Facilities and Parks Snow Response
During a snow event, parking lots and access walkways at City facilities are cleared according to a priority system aimed at supporting access to City-owned facilities.
Additionally, multi-use pathways that connect transit or school routes, as well as pedestrian pathways that allow safe passage along routes fronting civic property to schools, are cleared if school is in session.
Every effort is made to ensure parking facilities and pedestrian entrances and exits to Coquitlam City facilities including sidewalks are cleared for accessibility of all patrons. These priorities may change due to several factors including event intensity, severity and duration and available equipment.
Priority 1 - City Facilities Snow Clearing
- Resumption of access to City facilities including parking facilities and public access. City-owned facilities are defined as the pools, rink, community centres/activity centres, City Hall, libraries, Maillardville Community Centre, Place Des Arts, and Evergreen Cultural Centre, Public Safety Building and Fire Halls.
- Maintenance of pedestrian entrances and exits to open city facilities including sidewalks that surround a facility but do not border the street. Pedestrian entrances at Society-operated facilities such as Place des Arts, Evergreen Cultural Centre, Coquitlam Public Library, Mackin Museum, Foster Tennis, and Hoy Creek Hatchery are maintained under shared responsibility.
- Maintenance priorities are developed based on the operating hours of each facility and severity of event.
- Priority 1 responses will occur when resources are available and may be advanced, or delayed, due to event intensity, severity or duration and may depend upon the operating hours of each facility.
Priority 2 - Sidewalk, Pathway and Multi-Use-Pathway Clearing
- Sidewalks fronting open City facilities
- Multi-Use Pathways connecting to transit or school.
- Frontages linking safe routes to school if schools are open
- Priority 2 responses will typically occur after priority 1 responsibilities have been met; however, the response may be advanced, or delayed due to event intensity, severity or duration.
Curbside Collection in Winter Conditions
In the event of wintery road conditions, there may be delays or temporary cancellations of waste collection services.
- Unless otherwise advised via a service alert update, during a snow event, residents should continue to place materials out for collection on your scheduled collection day, ensuring containers are visible and accessible for collection crews.
- If your material is missed due to weather disruptions, collection crews will attempt to return the following day. If collection is still not possible, missed material will be collected the following week on your next regularly scheduled collection day.
- Download the free Coquitlam Curbside Collection app or sign-up for phone call or email notifications to get instant, property-specific service disruption alerts – details are at coquitlam.ca/recollect.
- Curbside recycling in Coquitlam is managed by Recycle BC, not the City. For recycling collection updates during winter weather, download the free Recycle BC app or visit RecycleBC.ca/Coquitlam.