How much can Metro Vancouver cities fine you for not clearing snow?

A large amount of snow in Metro Vancouver means many sidewalks that are probably not being cleared, which could lead to some residents being hit with a fine.

Penalties vary depending on which Metro Vancouver municipality you reside in.

Here’s how much you could fined for not clearing snow from sidewalks and pathways in Metro Vancouver.

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Vancouver

In Vancouver, there are pretty steep penalties and requirements on how quickly residential sidewalks should be cleared.

“Failure to remove snow and ice within a 24-hour period could result in a fine of $250 to $750 per offence,” The City of Vancouver states.

Vancouver expects residents to have snow cleared by 10 am every day.

Burnaby

The City of Burnaby responds to complaints made by residents.

Burnaby groups the fines into three categories:

• Industrial, commercial, or institutional ($400)
• Multi-family ($250)
• Single-family, two-family, mobile homes ($100)

Richmond

Fines in Richmond have increased from $70 to $125 for not clearing your property. Like Vancouver, Richmond also has a 10 am deadline.

Surrey

Surrey has two separate categories for fines.

Under Surrey’s Highway and Traffic Bylaw, businesses can be fined $80 per day for not clearing snow, while those with residential properties could be fined $55 per day.

New West

Interestingly, the City of New Westminster doesn’t exactly have a set amount for fines.

According to the relevant bylaw, New West says:

“If an owner or occupier of any parcel of real property fails to remove rubbish, snow, and ice as required by section 6.28 of this bylaw, the City Engineer may authorize the removal by another person, and the costs of such removal shall be at the expense of the owner or occupier, as the case may be, and the City may recover the costs of such work as a debt.”

Port Moody

Port Moody has potentially strict fines for anyone who fails to clear a priority residential area.

Fines range between $100 and $500 based on the offence.

If you live in another Metro Vancouver city, check the City’s webpage to see how much you could be fined for not clearing snow.