Lower Mainland Winter Conditions — 24/7 Only Strata Monitoring
Live snow, ice, and road‑temp data power strata snow removal and salting across Greater Vancouver & the Fraser Valley — keeping walkways safe and coverage reliable.
Snow Removal & Snow Clearing
in UBC ❄️
❄️ Snow and ice removal services for strata, apartment & townhouse complexes
— sidewalk-safe, liability-ready, and locally managed in UBC.
| Winter 2025 Service Starts Nov. 1 | Book Before Oct. 31 for Guaranteed Coverage | Trusted by 300+ Stratas, Townhouse complexes, Apartments and Senior Living Communities
Famous for its cliffside ocean views, dense student housing, and winding forested roads, UBC presents a distinct winter maintenance challenge. Though snowfall is often light compared to inland zones, rapid freeze–thaw cycles, coastal fog, and overnight black ice are common — especially in areas with heavy foot traffic and limited sun exposure. With a mix of student apartments, family housing, staff residences, and daycare zones, the risk of slip-and-fall incidents is amplified during even minor cold events.
UBC is home to over 14,000 full-time campus residents, including thousands living in multi-unit buildings, co-op housing, and faculty/staff townhomes. The layout includes sloped access roads, underground parkades, and shared pedestrian walkways — many of which freeze unevenly due to the campus’s position on a marine bluff and the surrounding Pacific Spirit forest. Timely, strata-specific service is essential to keep residents safe and operations running smoothly.
Fun fact: UBC’s Vancouver campus is so large and self-contained, it's often mistaken for its own city — and includes its own postal code, emergency services, and transit hub.
Historic fact: Much of UBC’s current housing infrastructure was built during post-war expansion in the 1950s–70s, long before modern winter drainage and salting considerations were standard — resulting in several poorly graded or shaded zones that remain high-risk today.
From Wesbrook Village to Acadia Park and Thunderbird residences, Only-Strata delivers specialized, strata-exclusive snow removal and salting, tailored for UBC’s dense multi-housing zones, exposed walkways, and high-liability footpaths.
Zone-by-Zone Winter
Challenges in UBC
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Wesbrook Village: High-density townhomes and student residences with shaded streets and tight internal roadways that freeze quickly.
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Acadia Park: Family and graduate housing near forest edges; walkways prone to frost and hidden black ice under tree cover.
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Thunderbird Residences: Mixed-use housing with underground ramps and stair access points — high risk after rain-on-snow events.
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University Blvd / Central Campus: Heavy foot traffic, exposed plazas, and tiled walkways that become slick after light freezing rain.
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Faculty & Staff Housing: Sloped driveways and shared internal courtyards that thaw unevenly and refreeze at night.
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Transit Exchange & Stadium Area: Salt-sensitive areas with high foot volume and poor overnight melt due to minimal sun exposure.
Trusted by 30+ Properties. Including student apartments, faculty/staff townhomes, family housing clusters, and daycare-adjacent residences across Wesbrook Village, Acadia Park, and Thunderbird. Only-Strata is the go-to for reliable winter protection on campus.
UBC averages 30–45 cm of snowfall annually — spread across 3–6 events. But coastal fog, dense tree cover, and shaded pathways cause moisture to freeze fast, even with little or no snowfall.
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Ground freeze risk: 20–30 days/year
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Frequent morning thaw–refreeze cycles near forest edges
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Underground ramps and sloped walkways freeze unevenly
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High foot traffic near residences and daycares increases exposure
UBC’s blend of forested zones, marine air, and tight campus corridors creates unpredictable freeze pockets — making proactive salting and strata-specific response critical for safety and liability protection.
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Assume light snowfall means no service is needed — ignoring freeze from fog and condensation
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Miss shaded walkways and stair-heavy zones near Acadia Park and Thunderbird
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Fail to provide timestamped documentation — critical for university-managed liability
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Prioritize city contracts over UBC’s unique residential layout and transit-heavy zones
UBC’s mixed-use environment demands precision, speed, and documentation — not generic snow clearing. Without strata-focused planning, even small delays can turn into major risks for students, families, and staff.
Why Most Snow Companies Fall Short
Most providers focus on:
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Retail plazas, malls, or large flat lots
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Commercial clients over residential
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One-size-fits-all service with no strata focus
That’s why Strata sites, Multi-Unit residential complexes, Daycares, and senior residences in UBC often receive late or incomplete winter care — or are ignored entirely. Most snow removal providers are commercially focused — their teams prioritize malls, warehouses, or parking lots.
That means stratas in UBC often get delayed, low-priority service, or none at all during smaller events. And when they do show up, they’re using equipment designed for flat, open areas — not the sloped driveways, narrow aprons, or courtyard-style layouts of multi-unit residential complexes.
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Lack of detail: small ramps and paths missed
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No documentation to defend against insurance claims
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Crews treat residential strata like shopping plazas
📸 Real Results You Can See
Why Only Strata Is Different
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We serve strata-only, multi-unit residential, daycares, and senior communities — no warehouses, malls, or retail
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We operate only in winter, our only business is Snow Removal and Winter Maintenance
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Our crews are trained for narrow, sloped, and senior-priority housing zones
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Every visit includes timestamped photos, GPS logs, and court-ready documentation
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We pre-salt based on ground condition data, not just forecast
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Strict Capacity cap & Strict Client list
Typical Pricing for UBC Stratas
Every property is different — we price based on: square footage, number of ramps/stairs, layout, number of units, access points, and elevation.
Most strata clients in UBC pay between $3,500 and $12,500 per winter season for full coverage.
Get your custom estimate: Submit in under 60 seconds.
“Most quotes are returned in under 4 business hours.”
🚫 Who We Don’t Work With — By Design
To keep our quality and response time high, we do not serve:
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Airports
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Big box store lots
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Strip malls / shopping plazas
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Warehouses or loading docks
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Restaurants or standalone retail
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Government or institutional buildings
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Industrial zones or truck yards
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Hotels or motels
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Hospitals or large medical facilities
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Any site not primarily residential
We specialize so you get better results. That’s the Only Strata difference.
⚖️ Legal Liability Protection in UBC
Kent sidewalks and laneways freeze fast — and lawsuits follow.
Even unsuccessful slip claims can cost your strata up to $25,000 in legal bills and staff time.
Successful slip-and-fall claims can exceed $111,000 + in UBC.
A successful injury claim can trigger insurance premium hikes and threaten your deductible status.
Worse — many snow removal companies don’t carry proper liability insurance, or fail to document their work correctly.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for Snow Companies to obtain Liability insurance in British Columbia
Only Strata prevents this with:
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✅ Court-ready photo documentation
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✅ Service logs for every site visit
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✅ Full transparency with downloadable reports
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✅ A perfect track record — zero liability claims across all clients
“What ‘Full Coverage’ Actually Looks Like — Before vs After”
Apartment building before our crew arrived at 4:37AM and after our crew completed service at 5:46 AM
BEFORE
AFTER
📚 Real Case Study – Faculty Housing, Wesbrook Village (UBC)
In mid-January, a sudden temperature drop followed light overnight drizzle, creating invisible black ice across shared walkways and underground parkade entrances in a faculty housing complex near Wesbrook Village. The property had multiple sloped entries and a daycare zone directly connected to the strata.
Only Strata’s weather-trigger system flagged the risk by 2:45 AM. Crews were automatically dispatched and completed salting before 5:00 AM, with time-stamped photos delivered by 7:30 AM. When staff and families began arriving, the walkways were dry — and the council had full service documentation ready for records.
“This would’ve been a mess with our last provider. Only-Strata had everything handled before we even saw frost on the pavement.”
— Strata Chair, UBC Faculty Housing Complex
✅ No slips. ✅ No complaints. ✅ No insurance stress.
👥 What We Look For in a Client
We work best with strata councils and property managers who:
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Value speed, safety, and communication
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Want zero-stress compliance and proactive service
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Understand the importance of advance booking
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Manage Properties with tight access, elevation issues, or senior residents
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Care about safety, not just snow removal
If that’s your community — we’re a perfect fit.
Testimonial from UBC Housing
“Our housing includes students, families, and daycares — safety is everything. Only Strata is the first company we’ve worked with that actually understands how complex UBC is. They’re fast, detailed, and reliable.”
— Property Services Coordinator, UBC Residential Housing
Behind the Scenes: What You Don’t See — But Matters Most
Weather & Ground Condition Monitoring
We don’t wait for your call — our system monitors local forecasts, pavement temperature, and site-specific freeze risk. You’ll be serviced before issues arise.
Custom Site Plans for Every Property
Each strata has its own layout. We map every sidewalk, ramp, drain basin, and high-risk zone to ensure no area is overlooked — and our crews follow that plan to the letter.
Strict Capacity Limits
We never overcommit. Unlike most contractors who scramble during storms, we limit our client roster so every site gets high-quality, timely service — no matter how bad the weather gets.
Full Liability Protection
Your property will receive court-ready documentation. If there’s ever a slip-and-fall claim, you’ll have time-stamped photos, service logs, and a legally defensible paper trail.
🧊 How We Work: A Simple, Proven Process
1. Fill out the Quick-Quote Tool
We start by learning about your property — just tell us your address, unit count, go through our check list, and list any key concerns. Our team reviews your site specifics, past service challenges, and any liability risk zones. This ensures you receive an accurate, strata-tailored proposal — fast
2. Approve Service Agreement
Digitally
Once you're happy with the customized plan, simply approve the agreement via email. We lock in your spot, assign a dedicated route crew, and prepare your site plan. Every property we service is capped to ensure we never overbook.
3. Enjoy your coffee—We handle the Rest
From the first snowflake to the last frost, we monitor conditions in real-time and dispatch crews automatically. You’ll receive digital service reports with photos, timestamps, and treatment notes after every visit — delivered straight to your inbox. We ensure full legal protection, detailed documentation, and zero guesswork.
👉 Have more questions? View our full comprehensive FAQ here.
Download a presentation-ready summary for your next strata council meeting — perfect for sharing key details, coverage maps, and service benefits with fellow decision-makers
📸 Real Results You Can See
$5M Liability Insurance
Coverage that protects both the strata and the contractor — every job, every storm.
Zero-Slip Claim Record
We’ve never had a client suffer a successful slip-and-fall lawsuit.
Full WCB Certified Crews
Professionally trained, injury-protected teams on every site.
Strata-Only Certified
We don’t serve malls, gas stations, or warehouses — just strata, multi-unit residential & daycare Facilities.
Live Photo Logs & Time Stamps
Every visit documented for legal protection and council peace of mind.
24/7 Live Storm Monitoring
We dispatch based on actual road temps and forecasts, not guesswork.