Snow Removal Information
The Township of King maintains an area of over 490 kilometres of roads, including 426 paved and 64 gravel roads with a network of both urban and rural roadways, sidewalks and ditches.
A brief look at our fleet: Winter maintenance crews are responsible for clearing over 490 kilometres of roads. The Township's fleet includes two (2) graders, 12 plows complete with sand and salt units, four (4) pickup trucks with plows, and six (6) contracted sidewalk plows.
York Region manages the Regional roads in King, which includes winter maintenance.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Township of King can assist by providing services to senior citizens and persons with disabilities. For qualified applicants to receive this service, all obstructions must be removed from the end of their driveway and their house number must be visible. Please complete the Snow Removal Application Please call 905-833-5321 for more information.
PLEASE NOTE: It may take up to 24 hours from the end of a typical storm for the snow at the end of the driveway (one car width only) to be removed. This time frame may be longer when a significant weather event (SWE) has been declared. King Township clears major roads first, followed by neighbourhood roads.
Snow banks can become very high at the end of your driveway. Take time to move this snow and create a safe view in both directions.
Residents are asked to assist by keeping fire hydrants on their properties clear of snow. Hydrants should have a clearing of one metre (3 ft.) all around and there should be a clear path to the street to ensure firefighters can readily access them. A hydrant can help save lives and property in your neighbourhood, if you see a hydrant that's buried this winter, please do the neighbourly thing and dig it out. In an emergency, every second counts!
Some snowstorms last many hours or have initial freezing rain that turns into snow. In these conditions, plowing occurs in priority sequence to ensure fire and emergency services have access. A re-plowing of priority streets may be required to maintain traffic safety. Re-plowing may occur before road crews can move on to other local streets. Road clearing can take up to 24 hours after a storm ends.
Most routes are completed with a 12 hour period. Clearance times may be longer when snowfall is exceptionally heavy, there are complications due to freezing rain, many cars are parked on the street or crews are working during peak traffic times. In accordance with Ministry of Labour Regulations, drivers cannot work more than 13 hours without a rest period. This can impact snow clearance time.
Although crews are very conscious in following route schedules, sometimes streets may be missed. Please report any oversights during regular business hours to 905-833-5321 or by emailing ServiceKING@king.ca.
The crew will be notified and arrangements made to have the street cleared as soon as possible.
In extreme weather conditions the Township of King may declare a significant weather event (SWE) in accordance with the Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways (Ontario Regulation 239/02).
As per the Ontario Municipal Act, a municipality may declare a SWE when a weather hazard, either forecasted or occurring, has the potential to pose a significant danger to users of the roadways in which they have authority. Weather hazards include freezing rain, significant snowfall, strong winds, blowing snow, and reduced visibility.This declaration suspends the standard timelines required for municipalities to meet their winter maintenance objectives as it may take longer to achieve the Maintenance Standards.
The Township of King will maintain the roadways as per the levels of service identified in the Maintenance Standards once the SWE has ended.Our service standard is O.Reg. 239/02 and to meet that, the Township has a fleet of roadway plows, graders, a backhoe, loader, pick-ups and trackless sidewalk machines ready to tackle the 2022-2023 winter season.
In addition to salt, the Township uses sand to treat our rural and urban roadways. Sand provides traction on our roadways; increasing friction for vehicles, improving safety, and ultimately reducing the number of accidents on our roads. Sand is mixed with salt to provide a cost-effective, environmentally conscious solution to help maintain our roads during the winter season.
A windrow is a ridge of snow that is left behind after a snow plow or grader passes by. Snow must be plowed to the side of the street during clearing. The Township understands that this unavoidable situation can be frustrating. To ensure adequate road width and safety, crews must plow as close to the curb as possible. Crews may also need to pass over a street more than once during a snowfall. The Township operates in priority sequence to ensure that fire and emergency services are able to drive on the roads and able to respond to calls.
During quick thaw situations, multiple passing ensures proper water drainage and helps is avoid heavy flooding. At other times, snow is pushed back to prevent hardened snow that becomes impossible to move later. The Township does not have a windrow clearing program.
It is illegal to shovel snow or ice onto the road so please be mindful of where you're putting snow when you're clearing your sidewalk or driveway. Read the Ontario Highway Traffic Act - section 181 to learn more.
Tip: Reduce the amount of snow left in your windrow by shovelling snow from your driveway apron onto the boulevard prior to plowing. Use a proper shovel or “scoop” shovel. Consider other community resources (volunteer groups like the Snow Angels, neighbourhood kids, or a private contractor)
Unfortunately, damage occurs on occasion. Snow plow operators face many challenges including poor visibility, pedestrians, parked cars, atypical sidewalk alignments, overgrowth of sod and slippery conditions. These factors can cause a tearing of lawn areas on township property that fronts private property.
Remove anything that may interfere with or be hazardous to plows such as fencing, armour stone, landscaping features basketball & hockey nets and more as these will increase damage to the boulevard.
If your lawn is damaged by a municipal sidewalk plow, please contact us by filling out the Township's Claim Form.
If you live on a rural property and your "911" Green Property Identification Sign is damaged by a municipal plow, please contact the Township of King at 905-833-5321. An inspection of the damage will be performed by Township staff, and repair or replacement will occur. Please note: The damage must be reported when it occurs.
The Region of York provides transit and snow clearing at bus stops. If you have any concerns, please contact York Region Transit at 1-866-668-3978. Canada Post can be reached at 1-800-267-1177 with questions about snow removal around their mail boxes.
The following locations are not part of the Township's snow removal services: Unpaved park walkways and paths: some walkways have signs indicating that they are not maintained in the winter and suggest using alternative routes. Some new subdivision streets and sidewalks: the subdivision developer takes responsibility for winter maintenance and should be contacted directly regarding service issues. Please note that developers may contract plowing services from the Township. Private walks, driveways and roads: These areas are the responsibility of the property owner. Owners of townhouse complexes, plazas and other private areas must keep internal roads clear of snow and ice.
Since boulevards are designed for snow storage, snowplows will return to areas previously plowed and push snow further back into the boulevard up to the Township Property Line. This is called called "shelving" and is done to create space for the next snow fall.
The Township of King's Parking By-law prohibits the parking of vehicles on roadways between November 1st and April 15th each year between the hours of 2:00 am and 6:00 am to allow for winter road maintenance. There are also regulations that prohibit on-street parking at any time to interfere with snow removal.
Residents can do any of the following:
Observe all winter parking restrictions.
Refrain from parking vehicles on any roadway within the Township of King as per By-Law Number 96-70.
NEVER pass a snowplow.
Avoid braking suddenly in front of plows; they cannot stop quickly.
Reduce your speed and drive cautiously.
Remain off the road during snowstorms, unless absolutely necessary.
Do not allow children to make snow forts at the edge of the road.
Do not plow, blow or deposit snow back onto the roadway. Such action is an offence under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, Section 181.
Before final clean-up of your driveway, check the road. If it does not appear to be widened out, a plow will probably return to plow again and may push snow back into the entrance of your driveway. Doing this might keep you from clearing your driveway more than once.
If possible, deposit snow from clearing your driveway to the "downstream" side such that the plow carries it away from your driveway. This will minimize the redeposit of cleared snow back into your driveway entrance when the Township's plow does push back the road edges.
Finally, please have patience. Snow plowing is a time consuming and laborious job covering many kilometres of roadway.