The first snowfall of the season has arrived in Wrenford, and the City is reminding residents to clear their sidewalks right away. Keeping your walkway free of snow and ice is required by the Winter Maintenance and Parking By-law 2020-097 and helps everyone stay safe while walking downtown, at transit stops, and in neighbourhoods across the city.
If you live on a residential street, the City's Roads & Winter Maintenance crews will clear your road once it reaches eight centimetres of snow. That usually means a plow will visit your area within two days of the storm. While crews work hard to keep main roads open, they cannot clear every sidewalk by hand. You are responsible for clearing the snow and ice from the sidewalk in front of your home or business within 24 hours of it stopping snowing.
Clearing your walkway quickly prevents ice from building up and makes it easier for neighbours, mail carriers, and transit riders to get around. If you have trouble clearing snow yourself, you can ask a neighbour, hire a local contractor, or use the Snow Route Parking Ban Exemption Program if you have a verified mobility condition.
"We want Wrenford to be a safe place for everyone to walk, whether they are heading to the bus, visiting a shop, or just stepping outside," says Robert Eng, City Manager. "Clearing your sidewalk is a small effort that keeps our community moving safely all winter long."
When you clear your walkway, please do the following:
- Clear the full width of the sidewalk from the back of your property line to the street curb.
- Push snow onto your lawn or a driveway, not into the street or onto a neighbour's property.
- Keep access clear for street signs, fire hydrants, and transit stops.
- Use sand or an ice-melting product that is safe for plants and pets.
If you notice a dangerous ice patch on a City sidewalk that you cannot fix, or if you need a snow route parking ban exemption, please contact the By-law Enforcement team or visit Snow clearing and sidewalk plowing for full guidelines.
Winter maintenance is a shared effort. Thank you for helping keep Wrenford clear and safe this season. For up-to-date plowing schedules, road conditions, and parking ban dates, visit Roads & Winter Maintenance or sign up for Wrenford Waste Watch to receive service alerts.