Someone broke out the skis during Vancouver’s snowstorm

When the streets and sidewalks are covered in snow, getting around can require a little creativity.

At least one person decided to strap on skis during this week’s snowstorm in Vancouver, and was caught on camera hitting the “slopes” of a side-street Wednesday morning.

Davis Lougheed shared the video on Instagram with the caption, “POV: You don’t trust Vancouver drivers anymore, so you ski to work.”

Lougheed, a Realtor with Oakwynn Realty, told CTV News the incident happened around 9 a.m., while the roads in his neighbourhood were still completely buried in snow.

“I look outside my window – I’m in South Vancouver near the River District – and all the sudden someone’s skiing down the hill,” he said.

The storm caused commuter chaos that morning, with a series of accidents and spin-outs snarling traffic on a number of major arteries during rush hour.

One Instagram commenter joked that skis might be the “fastest and most reliable” mode of transportation on a Vancouver snow day.

As an avid skier himself, Lougheed described the skier’s choice as “very valid.”

The City of Vancouver discourages that kind of behaviour, however, largely over concerns about vehicles losing control while people are sharing the roads on skis.

Regardless of the conditions, a bylaw states that “no person shall coast or slide on a sled, skis, skates, skateboard or any other apparatus on any street” unless council has decided to close the area down for that purpose.

That hasn’t stopped Vancouver residents from breaking out their skis and snowboards in the past. Videos from 2020 and 2022 show people snowboarding through Kitsilano and skiing in an alleyway near Boundary Road. 

While Thursday morning was less chaotic for many drivers, there are concerns about the afternoon commute, with more snowfall expected to fall in the Lower Mainland – and freezing rain in the forecast for some areas, including Abbotsford and Chilliwack.