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With the combination of snow and near zero degree temperatures on road surfaces, roads are extremely slippery today. If you are out today, please be careful. Plan your route appropriately and be patient out there.

Council Meeting

Tonight’s Open Council Meeting, originally scheduled for 7pm, has been cancelled due to snow and unsafe roads. The closed portion of the meeting, scheduled at 3:30 p.m., will be going ahead virtually.

Snow Plows

The City has crew out there working on clearing (and keeping clear) our priority one routes. These are the main traffic arteries within Nanaimo and include bus routes and roads that lead to the hospital. Crews will move to second and third priority routes only once these first priority routes are clear and staying clear

Please also remember that City trucks may slip and slide in these conditions as well, and some of these are extremely heavy vehicles. Give plenty of space for everyone's safety.

Garbage / Recycling Collection

Garbage and recycling pick up have been cancelled for today as roads are extremely unsafe for our sanitation trucks.

If you had a scheduled pickup, please keep your carts in. As inconvenient as it is (and yes, we absolutely know it is) your collection will be delayed until your next scheduled pickup day for those same materials (in other words, two weeks plus a day for Family Day)

If you are missing garbage pickup, on your next scheduled garbage collection day, you may place extra, securely tied bagged garbage out with your carts. Please place the extra garbage one metre away from the carts to allow the automated truck arm room to operate.

If you are missing recycling pickup, on your next scheduled recycling collection day, additional blue cart recyclables can be placed loosely in an open container one metre away from your carts at the curb.

Parks, Recreation & Culture

• Oliver Woods Community Centre, Nanaimo Aquatic Centre, Beban Pool, Beban Social Centre, Nanaimo Ice Centre, Frank Crane Arena, Cliff McNabb Arena, Bowen Complex are open
• Oliver Woods evening drop-in programs are cancelled
• All drop-in sessions are available at Nanaimo Aquatic Centre (pool and weight room)
• All registered programs scheduled to start at 3 pm or later are canceled for the rest of the day

• Rentals of facilities are at the renter’s discretion

All cancelled programs will be refunded or rescheduled. Check back tomorrow by 7 am on the City of Nanaimo website and Facebook page for Tuesday's updates.​

How can you help?

Where its safe, if you know where a catch basin or storm drain sits near your home or business, clearing the snow off of it can help reduce the chance of flooding in your neighbourhood. Staying ahead of the melt is the best way to avoid flooding, but If flooding occurs, sand and sand bags for filling (bring a shovel and ties) are available at the Public Works yard. To report flooding, please call Public Works 24-hour hotline at 250-758-5222. For more information, visit the Flood Control page on the City website.

Please do your best to remove snow and ice from sidewalks in front of your property within 24 hours, so that pedestrians have a safe place to walk and can stay clear of oncoming traffic. Please do not shovel snow onto the road. If you know of someone who may need a helping hand, please reach out to them. 

The City clears sidewalks around parks, bridges, commuter trails and major City facilities as quickly as staff can get to them.

Find more information on the City's response to Snow and Ice.

Thanks for your patience and for staying safe out there, Nanaimo.