Weekend Ready: Prairie snow, tire rules, Halloween

Weekend Ready is Canada News Media’s Friday guide to what is happening on the roads and in town this weekend, Oct. 23 to 25, 2026.

A fall storm is moving across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba through Friday and Saturday, and The Weather Network said parts of the northern Prairies could get up to 50 centimetres of snow, so anyone driving there this weekend should check road reports before leaving and expect slow going.

The forecaster, which published its outlook on Oct. 22, said the system would bring wind and widespread snow to all three provinces, with rain turning to wet snow from west to east across Alberta early Friday. It said drivers on the QE2, the Yellowhead and the Trans-Canada could face gusts of 50 to 60 km/h and sudden drops in visibility, and that many people likely do not have winter tires on yet. It also advised people to consider postponing travel in the hardest-hit areas.

The storm lines up with the start of the winter-tire season, and the rules for it differ sharply from province to province. Environment Canada’s active warnings and your provincial road-report service, such as Alberta 511, Manitoba 511 and the Saskatchewan Highway Hotline, remain the authority on conditions on the day.

Winter tire rules by province

Quebec is the only province with a province-wide winter tire law. The Quebec government said winter tires are required on all four wheels from Dec. 1 to March 15 on vehicles registered in the province, including rental vehicles, and the fine is $200 to $300. Tires must carry the mountain-and-snowflake symbol or be studded, and the regulation sets out the exemptions. Vehicles registered outside Quebec are exempt.

Drivers who need a short exemption, for example after buying a vehicle, can get a free seven-day certificate from the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, up to four times per vehicle each winter.

British Columbia requires winter tires or chains on designated highways rather than everywhere. The province said the requirement generally runs from Oct. 1 to March 31, and to April 30 on select routes through mountain passes and high-snowfall areas, with regulatory signs marking the routes. Its page on passenger vehicle tire and chain requirements lists the accepted tire markings and minimum tread depth. Drivers heading over any signed mountain route this weekend are already inside the window.

Ontario’s winter driving page does not mention a winter tire requirement and instead tells drivers to get a maintenance check, keep the fuel tank at least half full and carry a survival kit. The Ontario government’s list includes a charged phone, water, non-perishable food, a flashlight, a blanket, jumper cables, a shovel and traction mats or sand.

Packing for a winter drive

The same kit applies in every province, and our own guide to building a winter car emergency kit walks through what to carry. If you have not yet switched tires, our explainer on when to put winter tires on covers timing, and our region-by-region winter outlook shows what is expected later in the season.

Halloween weekend

This is the last full weekend before Halloween, which falls on Saturday, Oct. 31 this year. Toronto Tourism said the weekends of Oct. 24 to 25 and Oct. 30 to 31 are expected to be the busiest of the season, so haunted attractions can sell out.

In Toronto, BlogTO’s weekend listings include the Bloordale Ghost Walk, Ghosts of the Canadian National Exhibition and a free skate at Coca-Cola Coliseum. The same listings show pumpkin carving at the Allan Gardens Children’s Conservatory on Oct. 24 and a Halloween Witches Market at The Village at Black Creek Museum on Sunday, Oct. 25, starting at 11 a.m.

In Calgary, Screamfest at Stampede Park lists seven haunted houses, games and carnival rides. Check the event’s ticketing page for Saturday and Sunday hours before you go. Event organizers can change times, and the details above come from the listings named, not from the venues.

Parents planning trick-or-treating can read our Health Canada candy safety checklist before the big night.

Before you leave

Three quick checks apply to every region. Look up the official road report for your route, charge your phone and tell someone your plan if you are heading into a storm area. If you are travelling in the Prairies, the forecast calls for the worst of the snow in the north on Friday evening and for another round of snow in parts of Alberta on Saturday, with light flurries in the foothills on Saturday evening, according to The Weather Network.

Weekend Ready appears every Friday on Canada News Media. Want to present Weekend Ready? Email [email protected].

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