There are a number of factors including temperature, forecasts and precipitation that determine how and when plowing, salting or sanding takes place.
Road crews work hard to keep priority roads as clear as possible to ensure the safety of drivers and allow for emergency vehicles to respond quickly and safely. Snow clearing routes are designed to minimize duplication and maximize efficiency. Using Provincial guidelines set out in the Municipal Act, roads are classified based on their intended use (for instance, traffic volumes and speed limits) and maintained accordingly.
Our goal is to clear snow and ice as quickly as possible and have one snow plow pass on all streets within 24 hours after a snow event. However, during heavy snow and ice storms, snow removal will take longer and it may not be possible to reach residential areas until after the storm event has ended. Plan your day according to the weather! Please remember to give yourself extra time to get where you need to go, and take into consideration delays that are common during the winter season.
Order of Priority
- Major arterial roads and bus routes
- Major collector roads and industrial areas
- Local residential streets
- Cul-de-sacs and dead end streets
Depending on the severity of the snow event, it may take some time for our plows to get to your area and we ask you to be patient while our staff work hard to clear the streets.
During and after a snow event we receive numerous calls asking us to come out and clear the streets. Snow clearing routes have been designed to minimize duplication. Pulling a snow plow from its designated route to clear another is not cost efficient. Our staff work hard keeping the roads clear of snow and ice. Please be kind to them.
How You Can Help
By following these tips, you can improve road safety and help us increase the efficiency of our snow removal operations by allowing us to plow properly with one pass.
- Do not park on the street until after the snow has been cleared. Remember, vehicles are not permitted to park on city streets from Dec. 1 to March 31 between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.
- Give snow plows plenty of room as they may need to back up.
- Pile all snow from your driveway and sidewalks on your property. It is illegal to push snow onto the road.
- On your garbage and recycling collection day, place garbage bags and recycling containers close to the road edge but in your driveway so that they don't interfere with snow removal or get lost in the snow drifts.
- Remind children not to play on snow banks near the road.
- You can help us by clearing catch basins in front of your property to avoid flooding in your area during thaws.
- You can help our Fire Department by removing snow from around fire hydrants in front of your property.
Sidewalk Snow and Ice Clearing
Property owners must clear the sidewalks around their property of both snow and ice within 24 hours of a snowfall. These sidewalks must be maintained to bare pavement on an ongoing basis.
If a complaint is received, a bylaw officer will be sent to inspect the sidewalk. If the sidewalk has not been cleared, residents will have 24 hours to clear the snow and ice from their sidewalk. If it is not cleared within the time specified on the notice, the City will have a contractor clear the sidewalk and the cost will be added to the tax bill.
Notices will not be issued in instances where the residents have obviously cleared their curb-faced sidewalk, but road plows push the snow back on the sidewalk. Public Works will clear snow from these curb-faced sidewalks once all roads have been plowed.
Reporting a Problem
If you wish to report a sidewalk that has not been cleared 24 hours after the end of a snow storm event, you may call the Engineering Office at 519-539-2382 ext. 3104 or 3102. Please be sure to leave the following information for an investigation to begin - full name, address and phone number of the caller, and the address of where the sidewalk has not been cleared.
