There are a number of ways that residents can pitch in to help keep our roads, walkways and neighbourhoods safer during and after a snowfall. Here are just a few:
- Remove your vehicle from the street – The image on this page shows why it’s critical that residents remove their vehicle from the street during and following a snow storm. In this instance, the plow absolutely cannot get through. Neither could a fire truck or ambulance! But even when vehicles are parked only on one side or not opposite each other like depicted here, the snow clearing operation is still a challenge and the resulting windrows in the middle of the street create problems later on when people try to access the road. There is a bylaw prohibiting on-street parking during snow clearing operations. You could face a fine or towing if you ignore it.
- Clear your sidewalk – People use sidewalks to access important public services such as bus stops, community mailboxes, and getting to and from school. The city does not have a bylaw forcing residents to clear their walk – rather we rely on the goodwill of property owners to look out for the well-being of their neighbours and clear their walk in front of (and beside) their property in a timely fashion.
- Clear your fire hydrant – Property owners with a fire hydrant are responsible for clearing away the snow around this important utility. Again, please look out for your neighbours by spending a few minutes to remove the snow around the hydrant on your property.
- Do not push snow back onto the road – This is more than just illegal – it is costly and rude. The road returns to being covered in snow which is dangerous for you and your neighbours, or the plows have to come back again – at significant expense – and they end up putting your snow in front of your neighbour’s driveway. You wouldn’t want someone doing that to you.
Thanks for doing your part to be a good neighbour and assisting the city in its snow clearing operations, for the good of all.