February's major snowfall kept city crews busy. (Image Credit: File photo/northeastNOW Staff)

By Cam Lee

February storm dumped 20 cm

Snow removal dominates discussion at Melfort council meeting

Mar 10, 2026 | 10:29 AM

Much of Monday night’s council meeting in Melfort centred on the major snow event a few weeks ago. 

Director of Public Works Kalyna Cipywnyk outlined the city’s response to the snowfall in her February report. 

She said according to Environment and Climate Change Canada, Melfort had about 13 cm of snow on the ground prior to the storm. The system brought another 20 cm across a couple of days, causing issues across the city. 

“It was all boots on the ground to tackle the snowstorm,” Cipywnyk told northeastNOW.  

That included Public Works and Community Services staff using all types of snow removal equipment. 

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“Our grader, two snowplow and sanding trucks, our tractor, three tandem hauling trucks, three loaders, skid steers, walk-behind snowblowers, and of course, the shovels, to make sure that our streets and our walking paths and sidewalks that the city is responsible for remained clear for our citizens,” she said. 

The city stuck to its Snow Clearing and Ice Management Policy that dictates how they approach snow removal in all instances. Priority 1 streets like highways and emergency services routes are dealt with first, followed by areas like school zones, and residential neighbourhoods. Cipywnyk said they made one pass with a loader down residential streets for emergency services before coming back to do a full scrape, and that’s why some people complained about their driveway entrances initially having a snow ridge. 

Back alleys are also part of their snow removal efforts to ensure they are also clear for emergency services as well as utility companies should they need access.  

“If there was any sort of service outage, those technicians need to access those areas, and that’s why we prioritize getting those cleared, or at least passable.” 

The bulk of the snow has been removed, and Cipywnyk said the city will now focus much of their snow clearing efforts on getting rid of snow near intersections to improve visibility for drivers and pedestrians. They will also look to eliminate the snow ridges on the side of city roads ahead of the spring melt. 

Council applauded the efforts of snow removal crews with the major snow, and Cipywnyk said she is happy to work with such a dedicated, engaged crew that was willing to go the extra mile to ensure the job was done quickly and efficiently. 

Two other major public works items surfaced at the council meeting. There was more activity at the site of a water main break on the 100 block of Stovel Ave. E. on Monday, as crews discovered another length of pipe that needed to be removed. Cipywnyk said the cast iron pipe that failed was installed back in 1947, and it has now been swapped out. 

Council also approved the replacement of an equipment quonset at a cost of $400,000, which will be added to the 2026 Capital Budget. Inspectors and engineers were concerned about the structural integrity of the existing quonset that is used to house various city equipment. Structural engineers recommended demolishing the building within the next 12 months, and stated the building was not suitable for human occupation. Council approval was needed for the construction of a new steel-framed quonset, as it was not a budgeted expense. 

Coun. Adrian Bourgeois noted that the building replacement was a need, and not a want. City Manager Adam Homes agreed, saying the building houses important equipment and the current building could not be saved. 

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cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com