Vancouver snowplow gets stuck in ditch during storm

Tuesday’s heavier-than-expected snowfall caused havoc on Vancouver roads during the morning rush hour, and even a city truck equipped with a snowplow wasn’t immune.

Images shared on social media show the City-of-Vancouver-branded vehicle stuck in a ditch in the Southlands neighbourhood.

Telf Maynard lives nearby and is a realtor in the area. He told CTV News the truck was there before 7 a.m. and was not removed until the early afternoon.

Video he shared of the effort to remove the vehicle from the ditch shows a tow truck cable snapping under the strain.

In an emailed statement attributed to Amy Sidwell, the city’s manager of street operations, the city said the truck went off the road during the night shift, and staff are looking into what caused the incident.

Maynard posted a photo of the vehicle’s tires, and questioned why a plow truck wouldn’t have a heavier-duty winter tire equipped.

Sidwell’s statement specified that the vehicle had Michelin XTS tires with the M+S (mud and snow) symbol, which are “optimized for winter conditions.”

“The city’s fleet of heavy trucks, including those that are equipped for winter maintenance, have tires that are either designated as M+S (mud and snow) or mountain snowflake, or carry chains for winter road conditions,” Sidwell said. “This is in alignment with provincial guidelines for winter weather conditions. Chain use is dependent upon the road conditions the driver experiences, as it is not recommended to drive with chains on bare asphalt.”

Asked what sort of impact the truck being unavailable during Tuesday’s storm had on the city’s operations, Sidwell noted that “all available equipment” had been deployed.

“The city’s street operations branch has 100 vehicles and equipment to use for snow response,” she said. “All available equipment was deployed today. In the event of a major snow event like today, additional equipment and vehicles are deployed from across Engineering Services. The number of pieces of equipment which are out will fluctuate as conditions change throughout the day.”