An unusually snowy season left the City of Vancouver with a bill for $1,279,975.39 before tax in road salt and sand – a tab accumulated in just six weeks.
A statement issued by staff on Wednesday showed the amount spent on coarse salt, which cost between $60 and $135 per short ton, between Dec. 1, 2016 and Jan. 10, 2017. The city also revealed the amount spent on fine sand, between $7.96 and $19 per short ton, for the same period.
The amount spent on course salt and fine sand was up eight-fold from the same period last year, when the costs came to $158,669.06.
"This past winter was exceptional for its prolonged snow and ice, and below-freezing temperatures," the statement said.
"This resulted in the City facing unusually challenging street conditions, including significant build-up of ice, especially in parts of Vancouver with higher elevations."
The City of Vancouver has an annual council contingency of $4 million built into its operating budget, meant to be used for unforeseen events including major storms. But council approved funding the winter road maintenance costs separately, in order to maintain the contingency in case of other emergencies during the rest of the year.
For comparison, staff included the annual budgets dedicated to winter weather in cities where snowy conditions are more common. Toronto has an $11 million budget for salt alone, with an overall budget of $94 million.
Ottawa spent $67.4 million on snow-related expenses last year, city staff said, and Montreal budgets $155 million each year. Calgary has a snow-clearing budget of about $37 million, and Edmonton spends about $54 million per year.
City of Vancouver staff members are expected to provide a report on snow removal next month, which will include further information on costs and recommendations for improvements.
