Calgary tree cleanup moves to curbsides, back lanes

City crews in Calgary have started picking up debris from curbsides and backlanes after a freak summer snowstorm last week.

The move marks the next stage of the massive cleanup still underway in the city after so-called "Snowtember"dumped more than 30 centimetres of snow across Calgary, knocking down power lines and trees.

City officials say they have already collected about six million kilograms of debris, including tree branches that fell from the weight of the snow,whichrepresents about one football field piled three metres high with solid waste.

"We are looking at what we are doing at this point and the progress we're making this weekend," said Nico Bernard with the city's parks department.

"After this weekend we're going to get a really detailed schedule but I think it's going to go a lot quicker than we even thought a few days ago."

Bernard said crews are now focusing on collecting debris from the hardest hit neighbourhoods.

He said the city is optimistic it will all be cleaned up before winter begins.