Snow Removal and Winter Maintenance

There are three classifications of roads within the Township of South Stormont: Provincial, County, and Township roads. Each road network has a different level of service.

• Provincial roads, managed by Ontario Ministry of Transportation are responsible for Highway 138, 401 and 417.
• SDG County Roads are identified by number within a white “Keystone” or “Flowerpot” symbol. County roads are designed to a higher standard with a wider platform and asphalt surface. These are generally longer roads joining municipalities across SD&G.
• Municipalities are responsible for the smaller, collector roads and neighbourhood streets. Township roads are identified by name and can have either an asphalt or gravel surface.

The Township monitors the weather, patrols Township roadways and sidewalks, and determines if winter maintenance is required based off of O.Reg. 239/02: Minimum Maintenance Standards For Municipal Highways. Once snow begins and accumulation reaches five centimetres or the roads become icy, winter maintenance equipment is dispatched.

• The Township is responsible for 313 km of road, which is actually 626 km of maintenance when one factors in both lanes of traffic.

The Township’s road network is divided by 6 predefined plow routes, each taking approximately 6 hours to complete. A map identifying each plow route can be found here

• During a winter event one can expect the roads to be snow covered at times.
• Please stay alert, plan ahead, slow down, and stay in control when driving a vehicle during this period.
• The Township strives to have the centre bare on hard surface roadways and snow packed on granular roadways within 6 hours after the end of the snow accumulation. 

To optimize plowing efficiency, plows are dispatched to their assigned routes from the Township garage.

If the Township plow is travelling with its plow and wing up, it is either out of service or heading to its assigned route.

The Township and private contractors use SDG County roadways to reach their assigned route. 

By law, snow must be removed from the travelled portion of the road. Plows are designed with a fixed blade and wing that always pushes the snow towards the Township ditch.

The Township’s entrance bylaw permits property owners to install entrances onto the Township’s Right-of-Way, but stipulates that the Township will not maintain the driving surface. Therefore, the removal of the snow and ice from the entrance is the property owner’s responsibility. 

Additional clearing of the shoulders improves sight lines and creates more snow storage space for the next winter event.

Plows do not deviate from regular routes - if they did, the snow removal operations would take twice as long and would leave some roads in a dangerous state.

• If you have an appointment, please monitor the weather and plan ahead.
• In a true emergency, emergency services will contact the Township to ensure our efforts and response are coordinated.

No. Under the Highway Traffic Act, it is illegal to deposit snow or ice on a roadway.

The Township is responsible for the maintenance of all sidewalks and pedestrian crossings.

The Township's Winter Maintenance Level of Service Policy describes the standards we follow to  ensure public safety and to set a reasonable standard of service residents can expect from the Public Works Department in regard to road and sidewalk snow/ice clearing. By-law No. 2020-011 authorized the seasonal closure of specified sidewalks within the Township. 

The following sidewalks are maintained by the Township. All other sidewalks not listed are considered closed during the winter months. 

Newington

• Fairground Drive from County Road 14 (Main Street) to Cedar Street.
• Cedar St. from Fairground Drive to County Road 14 (Main Street).
• County Road 14 (Main Street) from Cedar Street to Fairground Drive.

St. Andrews West

• Hwy. 138 from Valade Road to County Road 18 (Dundas Street).
• County Road 18 (Dundas Street) from Hwy. 138 to St. Andrews Catholic School.
• County Road 18 (Dundas Street) east from Hwy. 138 to the eastern village limits.

Long Sault

• Mille Roches Road from Simcoe Street to the apartments at #60 Mille Roches Road.
• Bethune Street from Mille Roches Road to Mille Roches Road.
• Frost Avenue from Mille Roches Road to Saunders Avenue.
• Saunders Avenue from Frost Avenue to Strachan Avenue.
• Strachan Avenue from Saunders Avenue to County Road 35 (Moulinette Road)
• County Road 35 (Moulinette Road) from French Avenue to County Road 2.
• Simcoe Street from County Road 35 (Moulinette Road) to Mille Roches Road.
• Plaza sidewalk from Simcoe Street to Long Sault Plaza.
• Jim Brownell Boulevard from County Road 36 (Post Road) to Barry Street East.
• Barry Street East from Jim Brownell Boulevard to Barnhart Drive.
• Barry Street from Barnhart Drive to the west limit.

Ingleside

• County Road 14 (Dickinson Drive) from Santa Cruz Drive to College Street.
• College Street from County Road 14 (Dickinson Drive) to Farran Drive.
• Farran Drive from College Street to St. Lawrence Street.
• Memorial Square from College Street to Maple Street.
• Bank Street from Maple Street to Ingleside Plaza
• Maple Street from County Road 14 (Dickinson Drive) to Farran Drive.
• Thorold Lane from County Road 14 (Dickinson Drive) to Ingleside Plaza.
• Santa Cruz Drive from County Road 14 (Dickinson Drive) to Wales Drive.
• Wales Drive from Santa Cruz Drive to Elm Street.
• Elm Street from Wales Drive to County Road 14 (Dickinson Drive).
• Hickory Street from Farran Drive to Napier Street.
• Napier Street from Hickory Street to St. Lawrence Street
• St. Lawrence Street from Napier Street to Bank Street.
• Ault Drive from Hickory Street to St. Lawrence Street
• Hoople Street from Wales Drive to Elm Street

Property owners are responsible for the removal of snow from around their mailbox.

Township policy states that mailboxes must be properly located and constructed to avoid being damaged during snow removal operations. If the mailbox is damaged due to the weight and force of the snow thrown from the plow, the Township cannot control these factors and bear no liability for such damage.

If it is determined by Township staff that the mailbox was damaged because it has been physically struck by any part of the plow, the Township will repair or replace the mailbox with a standard metal mailbox and 4X4 post meeting Canada Post’s standards.  

• When one sees the plow’s flashing blue lights, please move over to give operators room to work. This includes intersections where the plows are required to back up multiple times to clear the intersection.
• If you believe your vehicle has been damaged by a plow, please contact your insurance company, and advise our office at 613-534-8889.

• The Township strives to prevent the loss of granular from its shoulders. Unfortunately, due to weather conditions, this is sometimes unavoidable.
• As the snow melts there are areas where it will seem that there is a significant amount of granular material pushed into the ditch.  In most cases the actual loss of granular tends to be minimal and is usually contained within the Township right of way.
• Unfortunately, the Township does not have the necessary resources to cleanup the granular lost from our shoulders as a result of winter operations. 

The Township strives to not damage sod while performing winter maintenance operations, however, due to factors such as little to no frost in the ground, some sod may get damaged.

If your sod was damaged during winter road and/or sidewalk maintenance operations, you may report the situation to the Township at anytime. The Township will investigate these reports in early Spring, once the snow and ice has melted. Areas damaged on private property determined by the Township to have been damaged by Township vehicles will subsequently be scheduled for repair using topsoil and seed. 

By-law 2015-021 stipulates no person shall park a vehicle or permit a vehicle to remain parked on a highway between the hours of 12:00 a.m. of one day and 7:00 a.m. of the same day between November 1 of one year and April 1 of the following year.

• Leave room for plows. When one sees the flashing blue lights on the winter maintenance equipment, remain a safe distance behind. Also, NEVER pass a plow, this is an extremely dangerous practice.
• Stay back and give the plows room at intersections. Plows need to back into and around intersection to clean them properly. If you can’t see the operator’s mirrors, they can’t see you!
• Be patient. In heavy snow falls, it may take the Township longer to get all roads cleared.
• Keep parked cars off the road wherever possible.
• To help keep children safe, please don't let them play in the snow piles or on the snow banks at the side of the road.
• Keep garbage cans and recycling bins five or six feet from the edge of the road.
• When clearing your driveway, please keep the snow on your property, not on the road. Pushing snow back onto or across the road creates unsafe road conditions for motorists and is prohibited by the Highway Traffic Act.

Newington

• Fairground Drive from County Road 14 (Main Street) to Cedar Street.
• Cedar St. from Fairground Drive to County Road 14 (Main Street).
• County Road 14 (Main Street) from Cedar Street to Fairground Drive.

St. Andrews West

• Hwy. 138 from Valade Road to County Road 18 (Dundas Street).
• County Road 18 (Dundas Street) from Hwy. 138 to St. Andrews Catholic School.
• County Road 18 (Dundas Street) east from Hwy. 138 to the eastern village limits.

Long Sault

• Mille Roches Road from Simcoe Street to the apartments at #60 Mille Roches Road.
• Bethune Street from Mille Roches Road to Mille Roches Road.
• Frost Avenue from Mille Roches Road to Saunders Avenue.
• Saunders Avenue from Frost Avenue to Strachan Avenue.
• Strachan Avenue from Saunders Avenue to County Road 35 (Moulinette Road)
• County Road 35 (Moulinette Road) from French Avenue to County Road 2.
• Simcoe Street from County Road 35 (Moulinette Road) to Mille Roches Road.
• Plaza sidewalk from Simcoe Street to Long Sault Plaza.
• Jim Brownell Boulevard from County Road 36 (Post Road) to Barry Street East.
• Barry Street East from Jim Brownell Boulevard to Barnhart Drive.
• Barry Street from Barnhart Drive to the west limit.

Ingleside

• County Road 14 (Dickinson Drive) from Santa Cruz Drive to College Street.
• College Street from County Road 14 (Dickinson Drive) to Farran Drive.
• Farran Drive from College Street to St. Lawrence Street.
• Memorial Square from College Street to Maple Street.
• Bank Street from Maple Street to Ingleside Plaza
• Maple Street from County Road 14 (Dickinson Drive) to Farran Drive.
• Thorold Lane from County Road 14 (Dickinson Drive) to Ingleside Plaza.
• Santa Cruz Drive from County Road 14 (Dickinson Drive) to Wales Drive.
• Wales Drive from Santa Cruz Drive to Elm Street.
• Elm Street from Wales Drive to County Road 14 (Dickinson Drive).
• Hickory Street from Farran Drive to Napier Street.
• Napier Street from Hickory Street to St. Lawrence Street
• St. Lawrence Street from Napier Street to Bank Street.
• Ault Drive from Hickory Street to St. Lawrence Street
• Hoople Street from Wales Drive to Elm Street