Winter Maintenance & Snow Removal

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sod damage is normally the result of two factors:

1. The plow operator may have difficulty finding the sidewalk or the edge of the road under a blanket of snow, and/or
2. 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.