October 12, 2023
The City of Edmonton’s Community Sandbox Program provides free, dry sand for communities to use to make sidewalks safer during the winter. Changes are being made to the program over the next two winter seasons so that more resources can be dedicated to improving Snow and Ice Control service levels for Active Pathways, including bus stops and public amenities.
Changes in the 2023-24 winter season will be minimal. By 2024-25, the program will transition to fewer - but more centralized - sandboxes that are evenly distributed across neighbourhoods.
This winter season, a small number of boxes will be removed from locations where monitoring has shown less demand. In total, the City will still fill and maintain more than 700 sandboxes this winter, which is similar to previous years. Three additional large, concrete sand bins will be installed this winter at select Eco Stations and recreation facilities, for a total of six sites.
- Large sand bins will be available at the following locations:
- Ambleside Eco Station
- Callingwood Arena Recycling Depot
- Castle Downs Arena
- Coronation Eco Station
- Kennedale Eco Station
- Meadows Community Recreation Centre
For the 2024-25 winter season, approximately 600 public sandbox locations will be removed and replaced by 100 centralized sites distributed throughout Edmonton. The centralized locations will be determined based on usage data, as well as proximity to residential areas and neighbourhoods to help provide equitable access.
There are currently more than 770 sandboxes throughout Edmonton. Following the 2021 Snow and Ice Control audit, the City completed a review and explored options to make the program more effective and efficient, while still ensuring the program is accessible to those who rely on the sandboxes.
Earlier this year, the City conducted public engagement to help inform the decision on these changes. A What We Heard Report and Public Opinion Research Summary is available at
edmonton.ca/CommunitySandboxes and on Engaged Edmonton.
