Masks requirements have been extended in select indoor settings, including Oakville Transit.
Masks are no longer required to enter any town facility.
Armed with plows, sand and salt, our crews are ready to clear your roads and sidewalks as quickly and effectively as possible. We maintain 2,000 lane kilometres of roads and 1,100 kilometres of sidewalks, so your patience is appreciated.
Follow our progress with the snow plow tracker or call our Snow Clearing Information line at 905-815-5999.
Primary roads are those with the highest speeds and greatest volume of traffic such as Trafalgar and Upper Middle Roads.
Secondary roads, such as Glenashton Drive and West Oaks Trails, are roads that have less traffic than primary roads, but also have bus routes and generally lead to primary roads.
Residential roads have much less traffic than primary or secondary roadways. Some seemingly residential roads are classified as secondary due to high traffic volumes, the presence of facilities such as schools, or due to hills and valleys.
Use this map to identify primary, secondary and residential roads.
Road Priority Map (pdf)
When snow begins to accumulate:
When all roads need plowing:
To find out what roads have been plowed, use our Snow Plow Tracker or call our Snow Clearing Information line at 905-815-5999.
Sand/salt trucks are dispatched at the start of a snowfall and at the first sign of roads beginning to ice.
Sidewalks are cleared if:
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.
Visit our Snow Clearing Frequently Asked Questions page to browse specific topics related to winter operations.
By-law 1984-1 prohibits parking of vehicles on town streets between 2 and 6 a.m. from November 15 to April 15.
During a snow event our plows need to be able to easily move snow on the roads.
Vehicles may be ticketed for obstructing snow clearing operations.
Temporary On-Street Parking Permits are available for visitor/guest parking when parking requirements temporarily exceed parking provisions. However, during a snowstorm a permit will not be valid for use on the road.
Request a temporary parking permit or visit the Parking Permits page for more details.
A snow windrow is the pile of snow that is left at the bottom of a driveway after the snow plow has cleared the road. The town's windrow clearing program helps seniors 65+ and people with physical disabilities or medical conditions that are unable to clear the windrow on their own.
The program runs between December 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022.
Learn more on our Driveway Snow Windrow Clearing Program page.
Plow operators do not intentionally block driveways.
With over 55,000 driveways in Oakville, it is not practical for plow operators to lift their blades at every driveway. The plow operator also has limited control over the amount and direction of snow that comes off the plow.
When clearing your driveway, try to pile the snow on the right side (standing in your driveway and looking towards the street). This can help reduce the amount of snow that is pushed onto your driveway when a snow plow passes.
Road salt works well to melt ice and snow around your property but it also has long-term impacts on the environment. Check out these green-friendly tips to clear your driveways, walkways and sidewalks and keep safe while using less salt!
Road salts (primarily sodium chloride) are the conventional de-icing/anti-icing chemicals for maintaining winter safety because of their cost, effectiveness and ease of handling. The amount of salt used is a function of level of service policies and budgets, the transportation network, weather conditions and operational practices. The use of salt has adverse environmental impacts. A Salt Management Plan provides the means through which an organization commits to implementing salt best management practices as it fulfills its obligation to provide safe, efficient and cost-effective transportation systems. The Town of Oakville Salt Management Plan will continue to provide the public with the safe and efficient transportation systems they expect, while minimizing effects on the environment through prudent salt use.
For more information about ongoing cancellations, please visit our Weather-Related Closures and Cancellations page.