Clearing Snow & Ice from Your Property
The City provides mechanical sidewalk snow clearing in most parts of Toronto, however in the downtown core the city is unable to provide this service. View a map of sidewalk snow clearing in the City.
Business and property owners are responsible for ensuring that all ice and snow is cleared on sidewalks, driveways, parking spaces, steps, ramps and landings within 24 hours of snowfall to provide safe access for people and vehicles. Clearing the ice and snow from the sidewalk in front of your home or business will make it safer for everyone. Failure to do so can result in fines. Please contact 311 to report property owner who did not clear their sidewalk.
The City will clear snow from sidewalks within 12 hours of snowfall, where it is possible to safely drive a plow.
If you are a senior or person with a disability living in any area where sidewalks cannot be plowed and require the sidewalk snow clearing service, you may download the application form and submit it to us along with the required documentation. All participants already registered with the program will be automatically renewed. If you have any questions about the form, the service or are unable to print the form, please contact us at 311 (service available in parts of Toronto, York, East York, Etobicoke & North York wherever the City does not mechanically clear the sidewalks).
A detailed Sidewalk and Transit Snow Clearing Level of Service table is available for viewing.
The following district maps show what streets have their sidewalks mechanically cleared:
Here is a brief description of what you can expect and some helpful numbers to call if you require assistance.
- High pedestrian volume sidewalks will be cleared when the snow has stopped and the accumulation has reached two centimetres (approximately one inch). High pedestrian volume sidewalks are sidewalks on arterial roads, transit routes, near school zones and around accessibility locations.
- Low pedestrian volume sidewalks will be cleared when the snow has stopped and the accumulation has reached eight centimetres (approximately three inches). Low pedestrian volume sidewalks are sidewalks on local roads.
- Generally, it takes approximately 13 hours to clear high and low pedestrian volume sidewalks after a snowfall. However, depending on the severity of the storm, sidewalks may have to be cleared more than once.
- This service can take up to 72 hours after the snow has stopped.
- The service does not include the clearing of snow from driveways or private approaches (private sidewalks) leading to a residence.
- If your property is a corner lot, the sidewalk on the flank will not necessarily be cleared at the same time as the sidewalk at the front. This work is sometimes performed by different equipment.
- While every attempt is made to clear all the residences on the service within 72 hours, if your sidewalk has not been cleared after 72 hours after the end of a snowfall, please call 311 and staff will place your address on our “missed list” and crews will be scheduled to attend and clear the sidewalk.
Property owners are responsible for ensuring that all ice and snow is cleared within 24 hours of snowfall under the Property Standards Bylaw.
The fine for not clearing snow from private property is $455 plus a $115 surcharge, total of $570.
The fine for not clearing snow from public property is $100 plus $25 surcharge, total of $125, as per the City’s Snow and Ice Clearing Bylaw.
When the City is not able to clear public sidewalks within 12 hours of snowfall, property owners are responsible to clear public sidewalks adjacent to their property within 24 hours of snowfall.
