CAPT OF A DC9 LOST DIRECTIONAL CTL OF THE ACFT DURING LNDG AND RAN OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY INTO A SNOWBANK RESULTING IN AN EMER EVAC OF THE PAX. SINCE THE PAX AND CREW HAD DIFFICULTY WALKING TO THE TERMINAL BECAUSE OF THE ICY RWY; THE FLC THOUGHT THAT THE BRAKING ACTION WAS NIL INSTEAD OF POOR AS RPTED BY THE TWR.

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NORMAL FLT UNTIL TOUCHDOWN. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 35L AND TWR RPTED THE WINDS AS CALM. WE BACKED UP THE VISUAL WITH THE ILS RWY 35L AND WERE ON GS; ON SPD AND ON CTRLINE AT TOUCHDOWN. AS REVERSERS WERE ACTIVATED THE NOSE OF THE ACFT TURNED APPROX 20 DEGS L AND ACFT DEPARTED THE RWY AND CAME TO REST IN A SNOWBANK. AN EMER EVAC WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND ALL PAX AND CREW WALKED TO THE TERMINAL. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS THAT WHILE RWY BRAKING ACTION WAS RPTED AS 'POOR' THEY WERE; IN FACT; 'NIL.' EVIDENCE OF THIS WAS NOTED AS ALL THE PAX AND CREW WERE WALKING TO THE TERMINAL. MANY WERE SLIPPING AND SLIDING ON THE ICY RWY AS WE CROSSED IT. I EXAMINED THE SURFACE WITH MY FLASHLIGHT AND NOTED THAT WHAT SAND HAD BEEN APPLIED TO THE SURFACE HAD MELTED INTO THE ICE WHICH HAD REFROZEN OVER IT. THERE WAS LITTLE TRACTION AT ALL EVEN FOR WALKING. SUGGEST THAT THE ARPT MGMNT AT GRAND FORKS BE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF CLRING AND SANDING THEIR SURFACES AND NOT RPT BRAKING ACTION AS POOR WHEN IT IS REALLY NIL JUST TO KEEP THE ARPT OPEN.