Our Public Works department provides ongoing winter maintenance to Township roads and sidewalks through snow clearing and ice control. Operations may be conducted seven days per week, depending on the timing of snow and ice events. Drivers' maximum number of hours worked per day are regulated by the Province of Ontario. We work to be as effective, professional and timely as possible under these conditions.

View our winter street parking restrictions, which help enable our staff to clear all roadways.

Clearing snow from roads

In the event of a snowfall, we deploy snow clearing resources to Township roadways as soon as is practical. It could take between 16 to 48 hours after snowfall to finish clearing all residential roadways. 

We prioritize frequently used major arterial routes before moving onto local, residential and commercial areas, and rural routes. For complete details, contact us to view a copy of our Winter Maintenance Level of Service Policy and plow route map.

The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville are responsible for clearing and maintaining county roads within the Township.

Treating icy roadways

We deploy resources to treat icy roadways as soon as is practical after becoming aware that the roadway is icy. It could take between 12 to 24 hours to fully treat all roadways in the Township.

Winter sidewalk maintenance

We divide winter sidewalk maintenance into two categories in the villages of Cardinal and Spencerville.

Primary sidewalks

We clear all primary sidewalks of snow, when at least five cm has accumulated, within 48 hours after the storm has ended. Primary sidewalks are located in commercial and institutional zones of the community.

Secondary sidewalks

These following secondary sidewalks do not receive snow clearing and ice control operations during the winter maintenance season:

  • Meadowland Drive to the Park
  • John Street – Victoria Street to Middle Street (south side)
  • Lewis Street – James Street to John Street (east side)
  • Henry Street – James Street to Munro Street (east side)
  • Waddell Street – Dundas Street to Canal Street (east side)
  • West Street – Dundas Street to Canal Street (east side)
  • William Street – Dundas Street West to the end (east side)

Frequently asked questions

You can find answers to common questions around winter snow and ice maintenance online:

 Can children play on the piles of snow along the roadside?
Please ensure that children do not play in snow banks or create tunnels, forts and slides along the roadways or sidewalks. Snow plow operators are unaware of children possibly playing nearby to their work areas. Please make sure they are supervised and stay a safe distance away from clearing operations and dangerous situations.
 The plow truck started to clear our street, but then left without finishing. Why?

Snow plow operators will not continue in an area where there are cars parked on the street, or cars parked across from each other on the street. The operator will leave the area and return at another time when they have completed the remainder of their route. This may not be until the next day.

Please keep all vehicles off the street during a snow event and 48 hours after the storm for cleanup operations. If you must park on the street, be sure to stagger the parking, so that vehicles are not parked directly across from one another, as plow trucks cannot maneuver around tight spaces.

 When will the plow return to clear snow left around parked cars on the roadway?
If the plow has already been on your street and plowed around parked cars, there will be a mound of snow left around the parked vehicles. Once those parked cars have left, the plow will return to clear the snow left behind, but this may not occur until the next day or more.
 Why does the plow always put snow in my driveway?
There will always be snow that is deposited into driveway openings by the plow after snowfall. This cannot be avoided. Homeowners are responsible for clearing their driveway of snow. If you are unable to clear this snow, we suggest you contact family, neighbours or contractors that can help with snow removal.
You already plowed the street and then came back and pushed more snow into my driveway. Why?

After initial snow plowing and sanding is completed, snow removal staff must remove snow that is piled up along the edge of the roads and curbs which is causing the road surface to narrow. This may mean snow is pushed back into driveways.

This helps expose the road drainage catch basins, which need to be open to handle melting snow or rain storms to reduce freezing on the road. You can help by exposing catch basins that may be along the curb in front of your home.

 Why do other streets get plowed earlier in the day before mine is done?

All snow plow routes have a start and end location. Your street may be at the beginning, middle or end of a route, which takes up to 12 hours to be completed after a storm ends. Depending on your street, you may not be scheduled to be plowed until the end of the route.

Even if you see a passing plow clearing an adjacent street, that may not be the plow that does your street.

Why does the snow plow pass by my area, with another one coming later? Shouldn't you plow it the first time around?

If you live on a cul-de-sac, dead end court or a 90-degree bend in the road, you may find that the plow will come through and only clear central lanes in the area before leaving. These larger plows are not able to maneuver effectively in tighter spaces compared to straighter roadways.

For efficiency, these plows clear central lanes and move onto other areas, with a different type of machine coming later to clean the street more thoroughly.

 Can I push the snow from my driveway and sidewalk onto the road?

No, placing snow or ice on a roadway is a violation under the Highway Traffic Act. It is also a safety hazard for pedestrians and vehicles, causing snowy and slippery conditions. It also hampers our operations and delays clean-up by requiring equipment to return to previously cleared areas.

Please place all snow onto grassy areas or where there is no walkway or road.

 I have a medical condition and might need to go to the hospital. Can you prioritize my street?

If you are experiencing an emergency during a winter storm, please call 9-1-1. If emergency response staff have trouble accessing a street, responders will contact the Township directly and we will respond immediately.

We cannot respond to resident requests for snow clearance because they must get to work, school, an appointment or other errand. All staff and equipment are working their designated routes and we cannot effectively or efficiently reschedule them to other locations.

Winter storm events may require you to safely reschedule an appointment.

Part of the sidewalk leading to my home is on Township property. Why don't you clear this sidewalk?
We do not clear residents' sidewalks that branch off from Township sidewalks and lead into private property. This is the responsibility of the property owner.
 Your equipment cleared snow off the sidewalk, but a road plow filled in the cleared sidewalk with snow. Why?
Many of the Township's sidewalks are located close to the road, and once cleared of snow, may be refilled by a passing roadway plow. This cannot be prevented, as there is little space between the road edge and sidewalk to store the snow. Once staff become aware of the affected area, they will return to remove the snow as soon as possible.
 Why did your plow dig into the grass and make a mess?

During snow clearing operations, some grass or granular shoulder along the roadside may be disturbed. If this happens, please contact us and we will schedule for repairs in the spring.

We do not repair or replace specialty concrete, paver stone or asphalt on driveways or aprons that may be damaged.

 Your plow hit my mailbox or the snow from the plow knocked over my mailbox. Can you fix this?

We will replace a mailbox and/or mail post if there is obvious physical evidence it was struck by the plow. We are not responsible for mailboxes or posts that may have been knocked down or bent from snow coming off the plow.

On a county road, the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville is responsible for plowing and mailbox repair or replacement.

 Usually my street has been plowed by this time. What has happened?

If it has been longer than 48 hours after a snowfall event and your street has not been cleared of snow, please contact us and we will forward your location to our operations staff.

Operators are very good at completing their plow routes on a regular routine, however alterations may occur due to equipment breakdown and replacement vehicles or operators, delays due to parked cars, or plows bypassing areas that can't be safely maneuvered. 

We cannot confirm the exact time the plow will reach your street, and cannot provide callbacks or further information on street misses.

 I can't climb over the snow banks in the downtown core to get to the stores. Can you clear this?
Mounds of snow between the road and sidewalks cannot be cleared until the Township has adequate time and resources to do so. We work as diligently as possible to ensure walkways are kept clear from the road to the sidewalks in downtown core areas.
 Do I have to clear away snow from the fire hydrant at the bottom of my property?
Yes, please ensure all snow is cleared away from fire hydrants on your property, ensuring easy access to emergency responders, should they require the hydrant during an emergency.