Winter Maintenance and Snowplowing

Image of snow plow

St. Marys follows the provincially prescribed standards for winter maintenance (Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways, O. Reg. 239/02). The Town has a 24/7 response team responsible for approximately 113km of road lanes, and nearly 45km of sidewalks.

Response Procedures for roads and sidewalks

From October 1 to April 30, we perform daily road patrols to monitor conditions and prepare responses to winter events. We also monitor various weather information sources for a consistent forecast to plan operational responses.

Less than 8 cm of snow

We begin salting operations, and/or scraping of roads if required. Priority is given to arterial roads, hills, and some collector roads.

Timeframe: 12 - 16 hours to plow snow and 8 - 12 hours to treat ice.

Greater than 8cm of snow

We plow all roads and sidewalks, beginning with priority routes and then secondary routes.

Timeframe: 16 hours to clear roads and 12 - 24 hours to clear sidewalks.

Post storm patrols and service concerns

We push back snowbanks, blow back intersections, clean up sidewalks, snow bank removal, address specific concerns etc.

Timeframe: 24 - 72 Hours

Downtown sidewalks and snowbanks

Sidewalks in the downtown are governed by By-law No. 8 of 2008, where merchants are required to clear the sidewalk fronting their businesses. Once snowbanks between the downtown sidewalks and roadway reach between 60 and90cm (24" - 36"), the Town will schedule a "Downtown Clean-Up" to remove these banks.

Parking

By-Law 51-2023, Section 3.1 states that no driver or owner of a Motor Vehicle shall cause their vehicle to be parked upon any Highway or street within the Town between the hours of 2:00am and 6:00am from November 1 until April 30. This By-Law also states that a vehicle parked or left contrary to the By-law may be removed or impounded at the vehicle owner's expense.

Trails

There are more than 25km of trails and parkland within St. Marys, and these systems are utilized year round by residents and visitors to our town. The Town aims to provide snow clearing to the trail system as soon as practical after a snow fall ends. Please be cautious when using our trail system in the winter as it can still become icy.

Weather reports

You can use the links below to check current weather and road conditions:

Salting and sanding

Whenever possible, salt is spread early in a winter weather event and on a priority basis to prevent unsafe roadway conditions.

When the depth of the snow makes it impractical to use salt, plows are used to remove the snow from the roadway. We use sand in colder temperatures when salt is no longer effective. Sand does not melt snow and ice, but rather its used to increase traction between the road and the vehicles' tires when melting of snow and ice is not required or not possible.

Salt Restrictions

The Town recognizes the need to protect the environment from over usage of road salt. As part of our salt management plan, the Town has identified many areas where we do not apply road salt, unless extreme conditions exist.

How you can help

Do:

Be patient. In heavy snowfalls it takes us longer to get all of our streets cleared.
Be a good neighbour. Help those who may not be able to shovel their driveways and sidewalks.
Put waste and recycling bins in your driveway and not on the road allowance on your designated collection days.
Pile snow on the right side of your driveway. This is the down-side of the plow so it will help to reduce snow build-up in your driveway.
Slow down! Drive according to the weather and road conditions.
When possible, let the salt work on the roads before driving.
Keep driveways clear of any shoulder snow accumulations from street or sidewalk plowing.

Don't:

Park on the street during a snowfall, or immediately following a snowfall if plowing is still needed.
Park your vehicle at the very end of a driveway or across the sidewalk/boulevard area. Plow operators are not able to do their job properly if there are parked vehicles in the way.
Follow too closely to snow plows - especially on hills.
Place snow from sidewalks or driveways on the street. This creates a hazard for vehicles, and is prohibited by the Highway Traffic Act

Frequently Asked Questions

What equipment does the Town use?

Town equipment includes the following:

4 Snow Plows (3 equipped with salt/sanders)
1 Loader with Plow
1 Backhoe Loader
2 Sidewalk Plows
1 Utility Tractor with Blower

Why do some roads always get first priority?

Primary roads are those with heavy traffic volumes or steep hills, or are connecting roads that provide access to a majority of secondary roads. These roads are plowed first for safety reasons to ensure routes are clear for emergency and transit vehicles. The Town's goal is to plow all streets within 16 hours after the snowfall has reached 8cm of accumulation. During periods of heavy snowfall, plowing can take longer and there may be some delays. Please be patient - the plows will get to your street as soon as possible.

Why are cul-de-sacs and dead end streets plowed later than other streets or only partially plowed?

Since culs-de-sac are secondary roads, they will be cleared later than high-traffic roads. Also, due to the small turning radius afforded by most culs-de-sac, the large trucks cannot plow the circular part of the street as effectively as other roads. In many areas, a separate plowing machine is sent later to clean up these areas. Snow that is piled up in the centre of the culs-de-sac will be removed when it becomes a hazard to drivers and/or the public.

Can the snow plows minimize the amount of snow left at the bottom of my driveway?

Our priority is clearing the travelled portion of the road. The only place to move the snow is onto the boulevard, which includes driveways. As a result, snow left at the bottom of driveways is unavoidable.

Does the Town come back to remove snow its plows have dumped in my driveway?

Owners and/or occupants of residential and business properties are responsible for keeping driveways clear down to the street. Because street plowing operations push snow from the road to the boulevard, this does fill in driveways. Unfortunately, the Town does not have the resources to come back to remove snow left by its plows at the end of driveways.

Why does the snow seem to dump a lot of snow on corner lots?

Residents living on corner lots usually have slightly more snow deposited in front of their houses as there is a larger portion of roadway that needs to be cleared at an intersection.

Why have the sidewalks not been plowed yet?

Similar to road plowing, sidewalks snow removal also follows a priority route system. Once the snow accumulation reaches 8cm, sidewalk plows are dispatched and it may take up to 24 hours before all sidewalks have been cleared.

When the amount of snow, due to heavy snowfalls or successive storm events, is so great that plowing is no longer effective, blower attachments are used. When blowers are used, it takes approximately 2 to 3 times longer to complete snow clearing. When icy conditions arise, sand and sometimes salt is applied to sidewalks as soon as possible.

Occasionally, drifting snow or road plowing operations will fill in portions of a sidewalk which has been plowed. We aim to address these areas during the clean-up phase of our responses procedures, normally 24-72 hours after a snow event.

When will snow be cleared from the around the Canada Post mailboxes?

Canada Post maintains the area around their mailboxes and is responsible for snow clearing. If you have any concerns, please contact Canada Post at 1-800-267-1177.

Who is responsible for clearing snow from around the fire hydrants?

The Town of St. Marys is responsible for clearing snow from fire hydrants on public roadways properties. Some hydrants are located on private property and would not be the responsibility of the Town. Property owners are strongly encouraged to clear snow from fire hydrants on or around their property to ensure fire and emergency services can quickly gain access in the event of a fire.

If you have a question about a fire hydrant location, please reach out to the Public Works Department at 519-284-2340, ext. 213 for assistance.

I am not physically able to shovel my driveway. Who can help me?

The Town does not offer snow clearing assistance on private property. You may be able to get assistance from a family member, a friend or a neighbour, and there are also a number of private snow clearing businesses in the area that provide this service. Please check online search engine for listings.

Why are some areas of the street not plowed properly?

Most problem areas on streets are the result of parked cars blocking the snow plows or residents dumping snow from their driveways back onto the public roadway. For adequate snow clearing operations, the streets must be clear of parked cars. Residents are encouraged to avoid parking vehicles on the street, either during or following a snowstorm, and are prohibited from dumping snow on the street. Depositing snow on the public roadway is an offence under the Highway Traffic Act. Parking on the street between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. is prohibited under by-law.

What do I do if I have an emergency and I cannot get out of my driveway due to snow?

Call 9-1-1. The emergency services will contact our snow clearing crews and we will work in co-operation with police, fire and ambulance to make sure they can reach you.

The snow plow has damaged my sod. When is it going to be repaired?

Sod damage is normally the result of two factors:

The plow operator may have difficulty finding the sidewalk or the edge of the road under a blanket of snow, and/or
If the ground is not frozen during plowing operations

Once a path is cleared, subsequent trips by the sidewalk plow are made easier. If the sod was damaged during the early part of the season, then the damage may not be discovered until the snow melts. Many homeowners will repair the damage in front of their property before the Town crews arrive. This is a tremendous help because Town staff typically don't tend to sod damage until late May when the ground is warm enough to allow for repairs. Town staff will topsoil and seed areas where the plow has caused damage; however, it is the homeowner's responsibility to care for the area, once it has been seeded.

What should I do when a snow-covered catch basin is causing flooding during a thaw?

Citizens are encouraged to clear snow-covered catch basins or to notify the Operations Department at 519-284-2340.

It stopped snowing yesterday, but my road or sidewalk hasn't been plowed. What should I do?

We endeavour to have all roads plowed within 16 hours after the snow accumulation has reached 8cm, and within 24 hours for all sidewalks. Extreme conditions or other situations may delay these response times, however, the town monitors the plow routes via an internal mapping system, so please be assured that plowing will take place as soon as possible. If you are concerned that your area has been missed, please contact the Operations Department at 519-284-2340.

It's not snowing and all of the roads have been cleared. Why are the Town plows out on the road?

After one snow event ends and the roads have been cleared, we prepare for the next event. You may see that plows are out pushing snowbanks back off the road way to expose catch basins in anticipation of snow melt, or simply to make more room for the next snow fall. We may also be out applying material to the roads in advance of an expected snow event which is forecasted to occur in the near future.

Why can't the sidewalk plow and road plow come down my street at the same time?

Unfortunately, due to the variations in the plow routes, the difference in the capability and speed of sidewalk plows versus road plows, and the difference in priority routes, it's nearly impossible to align the timing and scheduling of the sidewalk and road plowing operations.

The snowbanks in the downtown are getting high. When do these get removed?

Once the snowbanks in the downtown core reach approximately 24" - 36", a "Downtown Core Clean Up" is scheduled. We arrange for a high capacity snow blower to be brought in, along with a series of trucks to haul the snow away. This is done in the early hours of the morning to avoid disruption to our local business in the core area.