The city stopped using calcium chloride on its roads in 2020, but a new report is opening the door for the ice-melting chemical to potentially be used again.
Chemical hasn’t been used on city roads since 2020
Sara Sheydwasser · CBC News
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The City of Edmonton is considering using calcium chloride on roads again this winter. The chemical is used to break down snow and ice, but in 2020 the city stopped using it on its roads due to concerns being raised about potential environmental impacts and vehicle rust.
“We have recommendations from academia, industry, front-line staff as well as Epcor and our environmental group,” Valerie Dacyk, the city’s supervisor of snow and ice removal, said at a news conference on Thursday.
In January, Coun. Jon Morgan proposed the chemical be brought back to road crews’ arsenal after Edmonton's most recent winter season was particularly erratic.
“I think it's one of the right tools that we can use to mitigate some of these dangerous conditions that we have,” Morgan told CBC News at the time.
Dacyk cited Morgan’s proposal as being what triggered the city looking into calcium chloride use again.
Cities across Canada still use calcium chloride, including Calgary, Toronto and Saskatoon.
The liquid chemical can be used in three different ways; application to pavement before a major snowfall, spraying it onto existing ice to speed up the melting process and mixing the chemical with salt or sand to improve adhesion.
LISTEN | Coun. Aaron Paquette on the drawback of calcium chloride: Radio Active19:24Why the City of Edmonton shouldn't use calcium chloride on its streets
According to a June report, upgrading the system to support increased use of the chemical would cost roughly $4.4 million upfront and $2.5 million each year.
The renewed interest in using calcium chloride comes with a new report on snow-and-ice control detailing possible changes that council will debate at budget deliberations in November.
A focus on event and winter festival support is also among the proposed changes highlighted in the report.
Events such as the Deep Freeze winter festival raised concerns over snow clearing last year as the city saw an uncharacteristic precipitation pattern.
“As we all have experienced, Edmonton’s winter climate is changing,” Dacyk said.
“While overall winter precipitation has dropped by 31 per cent, warmer winter trends are causing more frequent and volatile freeze-thaw cycles.”
On Aug. 31, the city’s community and public services committee will be exploring the possibility of adding accessibility as a pillar of focus for snow-and-ice clearing going forward.
All other suggestions detailed in the report will be debated during 2027-2030 budget meetings in November.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sara is a reporter and editor at CBC News in Edmonton. She is a graduate of NAIT's media communications and production program, and has been a reporter at Taproot Edmonton.
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