Metro Vancouver residents call on cities to prepare as ‘Snowmageddon’ anniversary nears

Gridlocked traffic, abandoned cars, and snow-filled roads spin a tale of the 2022 “Snowmageddon” that blanketed Metro Vancouver.

Nearing the one-year anniversary of the storm, CityNews spoke with some locals to find out if people are prepared for another dousing of winter weather.

Ranbir says she feels fairly prepared for the forthcoming season, especially since she generally chooses not to drive when snow hits the ground.

She says last year, she had to adapt her plans due to the snowstorm and spent the holidays in the city instead of on Vancouver Island as she had planned.

This year, she believes municipalities should be educating the public on what to watch out for on the roads, especially since the first snowfall has yet to come.

“I think when the first snowfall hits, people don’t have the proper winter tires for their vehicles or the right salt for their sidewalks,” she said. “Most of us here in Metro Vancouver are not winter drivers.”

Robert, another Vancouver resident, says like a lot of Metro Vancouver drivers, he gets off the roads as soon as the snow lands.

“Whenever it snows I just park my car,” he said.

Robert says he wants the city to clear major roads quickly and adds transit needs to be properly prepared for any incoming snow.

Metro Vancouver resident Katie says she’s done her best to prepare for the winter by picking up salt and winterizing her car, but she’s worried cities won’t uphold their end of winter preparations.

“I’m always hopeful, but from what I’ve seen over the past five years… I don’t think they do the best job in terms of preparing.”

She says she would like to see her city do more to prepare its buses for the winter weather, since they should be encouraging people to use transit, regardless of the weather.

But not all residents are quite as hopeful. Metro Vancouverite Bobbie says the combination of local drivers and snow will never have a happy ending.

“We’ve already been named the worst drivers in Canada, and you add snow to that.. what does it add up to? A lot of accidents.”