Sidewalk snow clearing in the GTA: Is it your job or the city’s?

Torontonewsstation.com
March 7, 2023

Following the aftermath of the massive snowstorm on Friday, the Greater Toronto Area is still dealing with the fallout. On Friday, Toronto and other cities received up to 30 cm of snow, this coupled with rain and lightning throughout the night.

As of Monday snow clearing operations continue to be underway across the region. In some areas, the city must clear the sidewalks but in others, the responsibility falls on the resident or owner of the property.

If we can’t clear the sidewalk on a major road leading to an LRT Station because “this is where the property line is”, we’ve just fully given up.

And yes, I reported this so our extra by-law enforcement officer can “inspect it”.

In Toronto, if the snow is less than 2 cm, residents and businesses must shovel their sidewalks on their property within 12 hours after snowfall. If snow accumulation is over 2 cm, the city has a responsibility to clear all public sidewalks. For those who don’t know, there is a set fine for not clearing snow on private property and that is $500, plus a $115 surcharge.

In Mississauga, the city is obligated to plow the sidewalks only if the snow exceeds 5 cm in depth. The city says winter maintenance clears priority roads and sidewalks within 12 to 24 hours post snowfall. A priority sidewalk is defined as “being located on a major road or bus route or accessing hospitals, schools and nursing homes.” To find out whether your street has a priority sidewalk, visit the priority roads map on Mississauga’s website.

 In Vaughan, main road sidewalks are plowed when 5 cm of snow is on the ground. York Region ensures sidewalks at schools, churches and York Region transit stops are clean. Once these main road sidewalks are completed, the city will then move on to residential sidewalks.

Meanwhile, in Oakville snow plowing begins on primary and secondary sidewalks when the amount of snow meets or exceeds 5 cm and when sidewalks are considered slippery. But in residential areas, sidewalks are only plowed when snow meets or exceeds 8 cm.

In other areas, the penalty for not shovelling your sidewalk can be extreme, such as in Brampton where the fine could cost up to $2,000. For Brampton residents, sidewalks must be cleaned by 11am the day after a major snowfall.

Lastly in Oshawa, residents must clean the sidewalks adjacent to their property and the city is only responsible for clearing sidewalks adjacent to city-owned properties and in the Central Business Improvement Area.

No matter where you live in Ontario, it seems we all share some accountability for clearing the sidewalks around our properties. So make sure to clean those sidewalks to avoid receiving a ticket in the mail.