There is no business, like snow business!Snow removal service for the Town of Oakville follows strict guidelines so your roads are salted and plowed in the most timely and effective manner.
Snow removal information and contact information for weather-related closures and cancellations
- Frequently asked questions
- It's Snow Time brochure (pdf, 231 kB)
- Snow information line: 905-815-5999
- Contact information for weather-related closures and cancellations at town-owned facilities
Registration for the 2009/2010 Windrow Snow Removal program is now closed
Residents who are still interested in participating in this program, should contact Links2Care by December 31, 2009, to be placed on a waiting list.
Residents on the waiting list, will be considered to receive the windrow clearing service starting sometime in January. Everything possible will be done to try and accommodate residents on the waiting list, but being placed on the list does not guarantee placement into the program this season. Residents on the waiting list will be contacted after January 4, 2010, as to whether or not they will be placed into program. Those accepted can then pay the $50 fee at the Links2Care office.
To successfully register for the program, proof of age is required from seniors and a doctor's note is required from residents with physical disabilities. Registrants will also need to sign a declaration stating that no able-bodied person under the age of 65 is living at their residence. To place their names on the waiting list, residents should call Links2Care Oakville at 905-338-7669 and leave a message.
Salting and sanding of roads
Sand/salt trucks are dispatched at the start of a snowfall and at the first sign of roads beginning to ice. Streets with the greatest volume of traffic, called primary (or arterial) roads, are salted or sanded first. Examples of primary roads: Lakeshore, Trafalgar, Upper Middle, Speers and Cornwall.
Secondary (or collector) roads that lead to primary roads are salted or sanded next. Examples of secondary roads: Glenashton and Bridge Road.
Residential streets generally receive sand/salt treatment at intersections, hills and sharp curves.
Plowing
When snow begins to accumulate, primary and secondary roads are cleared first to ensure that you, and emergency service vehicles like fire trucks and ambulances, can safely travel to hospitals, schools and work, and get to public transportation systems during or immediately after a snowfall.
Residential streets are plowed only after snow accumulates in excess of 10 centimetres.
When all streets require plowing, they are to be cleared within 24 hours after the end of the storm. Heavy snowfalls or successive storms can sometimes extend this period longer than 24 hours.
Sidewalks
Sidewalks are cleared only after snow accumulates in excess of five centimetres, and only after roads are cleared. Sidewalks located on primary and secondary roads with schools are plowed first, followed by residential sidewalks. Sidewalk salting and sanding is done only on primary and secondary sidewalks when extremely slippery conditions exist.
How you can help
- Remove snow from fire hydrants and drainage catch basins near your property.
- Pile snow on the right side of your driveway (when facing the road) when shoveling. This helps minimize the ridge of snow created by the snowplow at the end of your driveway.
- Remove plowed snow at the end of your driveway (see above bullet). Snowplow operators must push snow to the curb or shoulder, possibly covering recently shoveled driveways.
- Park vehicles off the street when possible. By-law 1984-1 prohibits parking of vehicles on town streets between 2 and 6 a.m. from November 15 to April 15.
Having guests?
Temporary On-Street Parking Permits are available for visitor/guest parking when parking requirements temporarily exceed parking provisions. Click here for more information or visit our Town Hall offices. For one night of unplanned overnight on-street parking, please use the after-hours message service 905-338-4394 to record your address, car make and licence plate details.
