Snow Clearing & Salting

A primary road is a main road with a higher volume of traffic that provides access to most of the secondary roads.

A secondary road is any other road that is not a primary road or a laneway.

A laneway is a designated municipal rear laneway.

During a snowfall, primary roads are cleared for emergency services and for school bus and transit routes. After the primary roads are clear, plowing and sanding starts on secondary roads. Laneways are cleared once the primary and secondary roads are completed. Our goal is to address all roads within 24 hours of a snow event.

Parked vehicles can prevent snowplows from safely and fully clearing roads. During a snowfall, vehicles parked on the road may be fined and issued a tow notice. Towing may occur between one and 24 hours after notice is given, depending on snow conditions and the impact on snow removal.

If you don't have a driveway or enough off-street parking, move your vehicle to another location until the street has been cleared.

Read our parking by-laws.

Give snowplows plenty of room to operate and avoid following too closely.

Do not push, shovel or blow snow onto City roads or sidewalks. If you hire someone to clear your driveway, make sure they keep snow off the road and sidewalk.

To reduce the amount of snow pushed back into your driveway by a plow, place shoveled snow on the right side of your driveway when facing the road.

Keep children from playing or climbing on snowbanks near the road.

Property owners and occupants are responsible for clearing snow and ice from sidewalks bordering their property within 48 hours of a snow event. Keeping sidewalks clear makes them safer and more accessible for everyone, including people using mobility devices, strollers, walkers and canes.

If there is a fire hydrant near your property, keep a three-foot area around the hydrant clear and maintain a clear path to the street.

Please also keep mailboxes, catch basins and other infrastructure near your property clear of snow when possible.

Failure to clear sidewalks may result in fines or the snow and ice being removed at the property owner's expense.

Make a By-Law Complaint

On collection day, keep garbage and recycling containers off the road and away from snowbanks so snowplows can fully clear the street.

Check the latest waste collection updates

Rural mailbox owners are responsible for the installation, maintenance and general condition of their mailbox, including keeping the surrounding area clear of snow.

During winter operations, snowplows clear road shoulders as closely as possible to rural mailboxes. If a mailbox is damaged through direct contact with a City snowplow, the City will repair or replace it with a standard rural mailbox once conditions allow. A temporary installation may be provided if necessary.

The City is not responsible for mailboxes that are damaged because they are in poor condition, such as a rotted support post. Decorative or specialty mailboxes will be replaced with a standard rural mailbox.

For questions, please call Customer Service at 905-835-2900