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Snow Clearing
We work diligently to keep our streets safe with annual snow clearing budget of approximately $1.9 million. Below outlines how we prioritize and manage snow clearing on city streets, sidewalks, and municipal properties.
Unfortunately, windrows are inevitable after a snowfall.
With the high number of driveways within the city, it would be very costly to add additional people and equipment to either clear windrows, or not leave them in the first place.
Windrow gates (which prevent plows from piling snow up at driveways) are most commonly found as attachments for graders - we use truck plows, not graders. These gates are also challenging in residential neighbourhoods where driveways are close together - they work best in more rural settings. Our Streets Department is researching gate attachments to work with our truck plows.
It is the responsibility of homeowners to clear snow off sidewalks adjacent to their property, and to clear the windrow at the end of their driveway.
You can reduce your windrow size, and help out our snow plow operators with the following tips:
- Pile snow on the right side of your driveway (facing the road) when shovelling. This allows you to see any oncoming traffic as you back out and, when our plows go by, they won't drag your shovelled piles of snow back into your driveway.
- Residents should also remove obstructions from the road that inhibit the plows from being able to do their job such as parked cars, hockey nets and basketball hoops.
- Shovel snow onto your property, as opposed to curbside or the roadway (The placing of snow on the travelled portion of the roadway contravenes the City's Road Right-Of-Way Bylaw. This regulation helps to ensure that potentially dangerous situations for motorists are avoided and the roadway is kept clear for emergency vehicles.) If there is less snow piled on the road or curbside, there will be less snow pushed into a windrow.
On garbage collection day, provide a clear path to your refuse container, and ensure the bins are clear of snow and ice. This will help avoid lifting injuries for the collectors.
Place a service request regarding snow clearing, street signs or street lights, and other road concerns with our online tool: