Prince George city council received information about snow and ice control expenditures from November 1 to December 31, 2024, which was requested during budget discussions in January. The total cost to provide the service during the last two months of the year was nearly $4.5 million, $1.6 million was due to three Priority 3 snow events that saw 465 millimetres of snow fall on November 24, 29, and December 18. The report highlights the cost of equipment, labour, and supplies.
Council also received information on potential savings for reducing snow and ice control operations on statutory holidays. The report states that pausing snow and ice control services during a snow event could save the city $211,501 per day. Council directed staff to revise the Snow and Ice Control Policy with three options for a one season pilot project:
- No snow removal on statutory holidays
- Increased snow levels on statutory holidays
- Prioritizing priority 1 and 2 routes and decreasing service for priority 3 routes on statutory holidays.