Sign In
Normal Size Large Size Largest Size Switch Contrast Accessibility
City of Vaughan
Welcome to the City of Vaughan
Official Website.

QUICKMENU

Use the drop down arrow below to navigate through our site

Search
Advanced Search
  • Print Friendly Icon

Home > Services > Winter Maintenance > Snow Removal
Snow Removal
Page Content
The City of Vaughan provides residents with a high level of snow-removal services. Whether it’s reducing ice on roads, removing snow from roads or clearing it from paths, sidewalks and windrows, the City’s crews strive to ensure residents and visitors can travel safely despite the weather.
 
These services may be impacted by a number of factors, including heavy snowfall, accidents and vehicle breakdowns, cars parked on streets — which make it difficult for snowplows to clear the roads — and cars parked on driveways but are either too close to or hanging over the curb.

Salting

  • Main roads: are salted as soon as ice or snow forms on the roads – first round of salting completed within four hours.
  • Residential roads: are salted/sanded after main roads are complete – first round of salting completed within 12 hours.
  • Narrow streets (rear laneways): are salted after main roads are complete – first round of salting completed within 12 hours.

Plowing

  • Main roads: are plowed as soon as five centimetres (two inches) of snow accumulates on the ground and are completed within four hours after snowfall has ended.
  • Residential roads: are plowed as soon as five centimetres (two inches) of snow accumulates on the ground and are completed within 12 hours after snowfall has ended.
  • Narrow streets (rear laneways): are plowed as soon as five centimetres (two inches) of snow accumulates on the ground and are completed within 16 hours after snowfall has ended.
  • Courts, also called cul-de-sacs, require the use of special equipment and can take longer to clear. The centre of a court is designed for snow storage. Snow is intentionally piled in the middle of a court and is removed when there is no longer enough room around a pile for safe passage of snowplows, emergency vehicles and garbage collection.  

Sidewalks  

  • Main road sidewalks: are plowed first and as soon as five centimetres (two inches) of snow accumulates on the ground, including sidewalks around York Region Transit stops (stops are cleared by York Region) and along schools and churches. These routes may be salted and plowed more than once before moving onto residential areas.
  • Residential sidewalks: in addition to crosswalks, school crossings, paths and walkways within parks and private roads are cleared once sidewalks on main roads are complete. 
  • For a full list of maintained sidewalks, view the sidewalk plowing map (PDF). 

Industrial areas 

  • Business districts: are cleared once snow windrows reach or exceed a height of 45 centimetres (18 inches).
  • Other roads: are cleared at the discretion of the City. 

Windrows

The City’s windrow-clearing service is provided to residential driveways fronting Vaughan roadways. Learn more about Vaughan’s windrow-clearing service.  

Doing your part 

If you are a resident or business owner in Vaughan, you too have a part to play during a snowfall to help keep the community safe and winter operations running smoothly.
 
  • Keep cars off the street while snowplows are clearing the roads. This allows crews to safely carry out plowing operations and ensures the City can get the entire street cleared. It is also important to keep the roads clear for emergency vehicles. Did you know it’s illegal to park on the street overnight in Vaughan between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.? Read more about this parking by-law (PDF).
  • Place garbage, blue boxes and green bins on the right-hand side of the driveway, where possible. Make sure to keep them about one metre (three feet) away from the curb, especially on collection days when plows may be coming.
  • Remove ice and snow on the sidewalk in front of or along your property by shoveling and/or throwing down salt. This applies to you if you are a homeowner, and/or you own vacant land or industrial or institutional buildings, whether occupied or unoccupied. Read more about this by-law (PDF). If there is a fire hydrant on or near your home or business, please make sure it’s clear of snow.
  • It is illegal to shovel snow or ice onto the road. Be mindful of where you are putting snow when you’re shoveling your sidewalk or driveway. Read the Ontario Highway Traffic Act – section 181 and the City’s Dumping By-law 103-2020 (PDF).
  • Remove anything that may interfere with or be hazardous to plow crews. This includes landscaping features like fencing, hedges, basketball nets, decorative stones, pots, bird baths, etc. No such items should be within 30 centimetres of a sidewalk or within one metre of a street curb. Read more about this by-law (PDF).
  • If there is a catch basin near your home, you are encouraged to help clear it of snow and ice, if it's safe to do so. This allows for proper drainage and helps prevent flooding.  

Regional vs. municipal roads – who is responsible for what? 

Some streets in Vaughan, such as Bathurst Street, Dufferin Street, Keele Street and Major Mackenzie Drive, are managed and plowed by York Region. This interactive map highlights (in red) all the roads York Region is responsible to plow in Vaughan.
 
Do you live on a regional road that hasn’t been plowed yet? Here are all the ways you can contact the Region to get your snowplow update:
 
  • Follow or tweet @YorkRegionGovt on Twitter using the hashtag #OnYRRoads
  • Call York Region Transportation at 1-877-464-9675, ext. 75000
  • Email York Region Transportation at transportation@york.ca

 

 Follow Us Online

 

​TwitterFacebookInstagramYouTube

 

 Contact Information

 
Transportation and Fleet Management Services
 
Twitter: @City_of_Vaughan
 
SNOW hotline: 905-879-SNOW (7669)
 
Email: snow@vaughan.ca
 
Phone: 905-832-2281

Location:
Joint Operations Centre
2800 Rutherford Rd.
Vaughan, ON  L4K 2N9
 
 

 Related Services

 
  • Community and Home Assistance for Seniors (CHATS)
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Newsroom
  • Parks, Forestry and Horticulture Operations
  • Transportation and Fleet Management Services
  • Windrow Clearing
 

 Additional Resources

 
  • CHATS registration
  • Regional Roads
  • York Region
Page Content 2

City of Vaughan silhouette
© 2023 City of Vaughan. All Rights Reserved.​​
  • NEWSROOM
  • CONTACT US
  • SITE MAP
  • PRIVACY STATEMENT AND TERMS OF USE
  • SUPPORT
  • ACCESSIBILITY
Accessible formats or communication supports are available upon request.