North Vancouver, BC
Understanding your strata corporation's legal obligations, liability exposure, and best practices for winter maintenance in British Columbia.
If you serve on a strata council in British Columbia, winter maintenance is one of your most important—and most legally consequential—responsibilities. Snow and ice management for strata properties is not optional. Under BC law, strata corporations have a clear duty to maintain common property in a safe condition, and failure to do so can result in significant liability.
This guide breaks down what strata councils need to know about snow removal obligations, how to manage risk, and how to build a winter maintenance program that protects both residents and the corporation.
The BC Strata Property Act (SPA) is the primary legislation governing strata corporations in British Columbia. Under the SPA, strata corporations are responsible for the repair and maintenance of common property and common assets. This responsibility explicitly includes keeping walkways, driveways, parking areas, and other common areas safe during winter conditions.
Section 72 of the SPA outlines the strata corporation's duty to repair and maintain common property. While the Act doesn't specifically mention "snow removal," courts have consistently interpreted this maintenance obligation to include keeping common areas free from hazardous snow and ice accumulations.
The Standard Bylaws under the SPA provide a baseline set of rules for strata corporations. Many strata corporations adopt custom bylaws that specifically address winter maintenance responsibilities. Your bylaws might specify:
If your strata's bylaws are silent on winter maintenance, the corporation's general duty under Section 72 still applies. However, having clear bylaws provides better protection for the council and sets expectations for owners.
Beyond the SPA, municipalities in Metro Vancouver have their own bylaws requiring property owners (including strata corporations) to clear snow and ice from sidewalks adjacent to their property. In North Vancouver, both the City and the District require that sidewalks be cleared within a specified timeframe after snowfall ends.
For strata corporations, this means you are responsible for clearing not only the walkways within your property but also the public sidewalks that border it. Non-compliance can result in municipal fines, and if someone is injured on an uncleared sidewalk, the strata corporation may be held liable.
The liability exposure for strata corporations that fail to adequately manage snow and ice is substantial. Under BC's Occupiers Liability Act, strata corporations owe a duty of care to anyone who enters the common property—including residents, visitors, delivery personnel, and emergency responders.
If someone slips and falls on icy common property, the strata corporation can be held liable for damages including:
Slip-and-fall claims on strata properties are more common than many council members realize. A single serious injury claim can easily exceed $200,000, and in cases involving permanent disability, awards can reach into the millions. These costs are ultimately borne by the strata corporation's insurance (and the resulting premium increases) or, if insurance limits are exceeded, by the owners directly through special assessments.
A strata council that can demonstrate a comprehensive, well-documented snow removal program is in a much stronger legal position when defending a slip-and-fall claim than one that handled snow removal on an ad-hoc basis.
Based on our experience working with dozens of strata councils across the North Shore and Metro Vancouver, here are the practices that provide the best protection:
While it might be tempting to rely on the building's caretaker or volunteer owners to handle snow removal, this approach carries significant risk. A professional commercial snow removal contractor brings proper equipment, trained personnel, commercial insurance, and—critically—documentation systems that create a defensible record of your response to winter events.
Your snow removal contract should clearly specify:
Documentation is your best defence in a liability claim. Your snow removal contractor should provide timestamped service logs for every visit, including photographs of conditions before and after service. The strata corporation should also maintain its own records of weather events, complaints received, and actions taken.
Every strata property has areas that are more prone to ice formation—north-facing walkways, shaded parking areas, areas near downspouts, and sloped driveways. These should be identified in advance and given priority treatment, including pre-treatment with anti-icing agents before forecast frost events.
Keep owners informed about the strata's winter maintenance plan. This includes who the contractor is, what the expected service levels are, and what owners are responsible for on their limited common property. Consider including winter maintenance information in your annual general meeting materials.
Snow removal is not the place to cut corners. Ensure your annual budget or contingency reserve fund includes sufficient allocation for winter maintenance. For most strata properties on the North Shore, this means budgeting for a seasonal contract rather than trying to pay per event, which can result in budget shortfalls in heavy snow years.
In our experience, these are the most common—and most costly—mistakes strata councils make with winter maintenance:
Review your strata corporation's insurance policy with your broker each year before winter. Key items to verify include:
Some insurers offer premium reductions for strata corporations that can demonstrate a proactive, professionally managed snow removal program. This is another reason why investing in a quality contractor often pays for itself.
NorthShoreSnow specializes in snow and ice management for strata properties across the North Shore. We provide comprehensive seasonal contracts with full documentation and reporting.
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