Snow Clearing and Winter Maintenance

To help improve accessibility in our community, Clarington launched a new municipal sidewalk snow-clearing program in the 2023-24 winter season. Clarington crews will now be responsible for plowing and salting sidewalks on primary routes, pedestrian crossovers, and school crossings. The sidewalks selected for this program are located on arterial roads—or main routes—identified in downtown and high-traffic areas that people would typically use to travel within the main areas of the community.

• View the map to see which sidewalks will be cleared as part of this program.

Property owners are still required to maintain sidewalks and clear windrows under Clarington’s snow-clearing by-law. As we implement this new service across Clarington, we thank residents for their patience and understanding.

Learn more about Sidewalk snow removal

Parking on the street in the winter months can interrupt or prevent effective snow clearing operations. Snow plow operators clear snow as close to the curb as possible (or end of travelled portion of roadway where no curb exists), but road obstructions, like parked vehicles, prevent this task from being completed. 

• You cannot park on any street between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. all year.
• You cannot park on the street during a snow event at any time of day or night. 

If you park on the street and interfere with snow clearing operations, your vehicle may be ticketed and towed. Parking on the street during a snow event can slow down snow clearing operations, and in some cases, it can stop all snow clearing on that street. 

The Municipality of Clarington is responsible for road maintenance during winter months to ensure the safety of all of our residents. Our crews are responsible for plowing snow and laying down sand or salt for icy conditions on 892 kilometres of Municipal roads, or around 1,800 lane kilometres. Lane kilometres include all lanes in both directions, as well as turning lanes. View our winter storm guidelines to see a timeline of the snow-clearing process.

In order to help us clear the roads effectively, please follow Clarington's by-law regarding vehicle operation. The by-law is applicable year round.

• Do not park on the road between the hours of 3 and 5 a.m., or for a period of longer than three hours.
• Do not push, plow or blow snow onto the road
• During late winter and early spring, follow weight restriction guidelines

To help serve you better and provide more efficient service, we’ve launched Service Clarington — a new online customer portal. File by-law complaints, report problems, and apply and pay for permits and licences in one convenient place. Get started by visiting service.clarington.net to create an account.

Report a winter maintenance issue such as plowing, salting, or mailbox damage.

Emergency contact numbers

Contact the Public Works Department for emergencies related to municipal road maintenance or conditions, such as:

• Drifting snow / blocked road
• Icy roads
• Flooding
• Tree down

Please do not call to report unplowed roads until at least eight to 12 hours after the end of the snow storm.

• Regular business hours: 905-623-3379 ext. 2661
• After hours road emergency: Oshawa Fire Dispatch 905-433-1234 

• Main roads and emergency routes are cleared first to keep traffic moving safely.
• Once those are safe and passable, crews move into residential neighbourhoods and side streets.
• During a snowfall, crews may need to return to primary routes before completing neighbourhood streets.