Winter Parking Ban is in effect during winter events when plows and sanders are in operation. Parking on the street could result in a parking ticket and may restrict the ability of the snow equipment to enter and clear the roadway. Please do not park on the street.
Please do not park on the street during winter events. By-law 89-2000 & 69-2023
| Snowfall | 2.5 cm | 5 cm | 5 cm+ | Post-storm | Post-storm clear |
| Forecasting | Storm Begins | Facility parking lots & sidewalks | Plowing operations | Sidewalks and cul-de-sacs | Post-storm patrols |
| Staff monitors multiple weather sources for a consistent forecast and plans operations. | Staff begins salting & sanding operations of arterial & collector roads, sharp corners & steep hills | Staff clears snow in front of all municipally owned and operated facilities. |
Staff starts plowing operations of roads in priority sequence:
|
Staff begins:
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Staff debriefs and tends to any service concerns, if necessary. |
Snow Plows
A heavy snowfall has just occurred. When will the Town plow my street?
Once more than 5cm of snow has accumulated on the roads, the Town uses a priority system to plow the roads, beginning with primary (arterial) roads followed by secondary (residential) streets.
This priority response is based on regulatory requirements. When possible combination plow trucks are sent out just prior to a snow event or when the snow starts to fall, to treat hills, intersections and sharp curves, also beginning with arterial roads.
Who determines which streets get plowed first?
The Town of Pelham follows the provincially prescribed standards for winter maintenance (Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways, O. Reg. 239/02).
Arterial and some collector roads with higher volume of traffic take first priority, while local streets and cul-de-sacs with lower traffic volumes are plowed after the priority roads are completed.
It stopped snowing yesterday, but my road or sidewalk hasn’t been plowed?
The Town endeavors to have all roads plowed within 16 hours after the snow accumulation has reached 8cm, and within 24 hours for all sidewalks.
Extreme conditions or unique situations may delay these response times.
The town monitors the plow routes via an internal mapping system, so please be assured that plowing will take place as soon as possible.
If you are concerned that your area has been missed (after 16 hours has passed since the storm has ended), please contact the Public Works Department at 905-892-2607 ext 332.
Does the Town remove snow left from the plows in driveways?
Town crew’s priority is to clear the travelled portion of the road. The only place to move the snow is onto the boulevard, which includes driveways. As a result, snow left at the bottom of driveways is unavoidable.
Owners and/or occupants of residential and business properties are responsible for keeping driveways clear of snow down to the street. Because sidewalk and street plowing operations push snow from the road or sidewalk to the boulevard,this does fill in driveways.
Unfortunately, the Town does not have the resources to come back to remove snow left by its plows at the end of driveways or adjacent to sidewalks
Why does the snowplow seem to dump a lot of snow on corner lots?
Residents living on corner lots usually have slightly more snow deposited in front of their houses as there is a larger portion of roadway that needs to be cleared at an intersection. This situation becomes worse for those homes adjacent to “Bullnose Corners”.
Why are cul-de-sacs and dead end streets plowed later or only partially plowed?
Since cul-de-sacs are secondary roads, they will be cleared later than high-traffic roads. Also, due to the small turning radius afforded by most cul-de-sacs, the large trucks cannot plow the circular part of the street as effectively as other roads.
In many areas, a separate plowing machine is sent later to clean up these areas. Snow that is piled up in the centre of the cul-de-sacs will be removed when it becomes a hazard to drivers and/or the public.
Why are some areas of the street not fully plowed?
Most problem areas on streets are the result of parked cars blocking the snow plows or residents dumping snow from their driveways back onto the public roadway. For adequate snow clearing operations, the streets must be clear of parked cars.
Residents are prohibited from parking vehicles on the street, either during or following a snowstorm, and are prohibited from dumping snow on the street.
Depositing snow on the public roadway is an offence under the Highway Traffic Act.
Parking on the street during Winter Maintenance Operations is prohibited under by-law and subject to fine.
Sidewalk Clearing
Who provides sidewalk clearing?
The Town provides a sidewalk snow removal service using a local contractor. Sidewalks are cleared to a snow packed condition but the equipment does not allow for clearing down to bare pavement.
When the amount of snow is so great that plowing is no longer effective, blower attachments may be used, however this does not increase the amount of time it takes to clear the sidewalks.
Property owners are encouraged to apply snow and ice melt to sidewalks when they become icy. The Town's contracted service provided is not able to apply ice melt to all municipal sidewalks.
Why have the sidewalks not been plowed yet?
Similar to road plowing, sidewalks snow removal also follows a priority route system. Once the snow accumulation reaches 5cm and has stopped falling, sidewalk plows are dispatched and it may take up to 24 hours before all sidewalks have been cleared, depending on the depth of snow and weather conditions. Occasionally, drifting snow or road plowing operations will fill in portions of a sidewalk which has been plowed. The Town will endeavor to address these areas during the cleanup phase of our responses procedures, normally 24-72 hours after a snow event.
Why can’t the sidewalk plow and road plow come down my street at the same time?
Due to the variations in the plow routes, the difference in the capability and speed of sidewalk plows vs. road plows, and the difference in priority routes, it’s near impossible to align the timing and scheduling of the sidewalk and road plowing operations.
I just moved into a new subdivision, why isn’t my sidewalk being plowed?
The Town does not provide sidewalk plowing in subdivisions that have not been assumed by the Town of Pelham or areas where the sidewalk is not continuous. If there are sections of sidewalk missing across empty lots that section of sidewalk will not be plowed. An indication that your subdivision is not yet assumed is if there are still empty lots or the top layer of asphalt has not been put down.
The snow removal has damaged my sod. When is it going to be repaired?
The plow operator may have difficulty finding the sidewalk or the edge of the road under a blanket of snow. Once a path is cleared, subsequent trips by the sidewalk plow are made easier.
If the sod was damaged during the early part of the season, then the damage may not be discovered until the snow melts.
Many homeowners will repair the damage in front of their property before the Town crews arrive. This is a tremendous help because Town staff typically does not tend to sod damage until late May when the ground is warm enough to allow for repairs.
Town staff will topsoil and seed areas where the plow has caused damage, however, it is the homeowner's responsibility to care for the area, once it has been seeded.
If your property is damaged by the sidewalk plow please contact the administrative assistant, public works, at 905-892-2607 x332 Damage to lawns and boulevards will be repaired in the spring.
Contact Us
Town of Pelham
20 Pelham Town Square
P.O. Box 400
Fonthill ON L0S 1E0
905-892-2607
inbox@pelham.ca
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