Winter weather preparedness tips
- Allow extra time to get to campus in consideration of travel conditions (vehicle, bus, SkyTrain, etc.)
- Translink posts service outages and updates on their website.
- Wear appropriate footwear and winter clothing, especially if regularly moving between the New Westminster Campus and the Anvil Office Tower.
- If driving, use caution and ensure you have winter tires that are in good condition.
- If walking, use caution and consider driving conditions, while watching for vehicles (even at crosswalks).
What happens if the College is open but I’m unable to travel due to severe weather conditions in my area?
Douglas College serves a large and diverse geographic area. We make decisions based on the impacts to the largest portion of our population, but we understand this will never include every student or employee. It is the responsibility of each individual to make decisions about what is safe for them. If this means you are unable to travel to class, please notify your instructor as soon as possible.
Instructors have been requested to consider weather conditions when making decisions about attendance during winter weather. Ultimately, these decisions are the sole discretion of individual instructors.
Sidewalk conditions
The College takes all precautions to ensure our campuses are safe. We understand sidewalks can be treacherous when icy, so this year we’ve taken the step of meeting with our business neighbours to request they follow city bylaws (New West Bylaw and Coquitlam Bylaw) and clear the sidewalks outside their businesses in a timely fashion. If you feel sidewalk conditions are unsafe, please contact the appropriate city:
- City of New Westminster: 604 519 2010 or parking@newwestcity.ca
- City of Coquitlam: Snow Response Request
Campus closures
Douglas College continuously monitors the weather and makes decisions about operations of its campuses with the safety of students and employees as our primary consideration.
If weather takes a turn for the worse and a campus closure seems likely, Douglas will inform the College community prior to 6:30am for morning closures and 2:30pm for afternoon closures.
The College website homepage is the best source for up-to-date information. Information is also available from the College information line (toll-free 1 877 679 0823) and DC Alerts. DC Alerts subscribers get rapid campus closure updates sent via text, email and/or phone messages. Sign up for DC Alerts now.