Snow Clearing Program for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities

We offer senior citizens (65 years of age and over) and residents with a physical disability a snow clearing service on municipal sidewalks and driveway windrows bordering single-family dwellings in urban areas.

Who is eligible?

Residents of Clarington who:

Are 65 years or older, and have no able-bodied people under the age of 65 living in their home.
- Proof of age must be provided.
Have a disability certified by a licensed medical doctor, and have no able-bodied people under the age of 65 living in their home.
- A doctor’s certificate must be provided specifying the applicant cannot clear snow.
- Applicants with a temporary disability must provide a doctor's certificate each enrollment year.
Occupy a single-family dwelling in an urban residential area that fronts onto a municipal street.

What gets cleared?

Municipal sidewalks: fronting and adjacent to your property (if applicable).

Driveway windrow: up to three feet of driveway apron adjacent to the road. A windrow is the pile of snow at the bottom of the driveway after a snowplow clears the street.

Diagram of a home that highlights the areas that snow will be cleared.

When do you come to clear my snow?

Municipal sidewalk clearing: Service is initiated within 24 hours after the snow has stopped falling and only when there is more than 7.5 centimetres (around three inches) of snow.

Driveway windrow clearing: Service is initiated after Clarington's plows have finished clearing municipal roads and only when there is more than 15 centimetres (around six inches) of snow.

If snowfall does not meet the above conditions, the resident is responsible for clearing the snow and sanding or salting the sidewalk as needed.

Our program strives to deliver this service in a timely manner. However, sometimes unforeseen weather and other circumstances can arise. If you frequently leave your home, consider making other arrangements to have your windrow and sidewalk cleared.

How do I apply?

The application period is open from September 11 to October 31, 2023.
The program fee for the 2023-24 winter season is $100 (HST included).

Returning Customers: If you were registered for the program last season, you can apply and pay the fee online through your existing Be Active account. Note: The online application process is not available to customers with a temporary disability.

New button

New customers and all customers with a temporary disability must visit one of the following community centres and register with a Customer Service Representative. Please call 905-623-3379 ext. 2552 before you visit to confirm staff will be on site to assist.

Proof of eligibility and payment for the program is required at the time of application.

Please note: You cannot register at the Municipal Administrative Centre (Town Hall).

Terms and conditions

This program does not provide clearing of walkways on private property or the driveway other than the windrow.
This program does not provide clearing for properties that are businesses, farms, condominiums, vacant properties or vacant land.
The program does not provide any sand or salt application other than at the snow clearing time. Outside of that, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to apply sand or salt if required.
Snow will not be cleared more than one metre (three feet) into the driveway apron. If your driveway ends at a sidewalk, there is no separate windrow requirement as it will become part of the sidewalk clearing portion of the program.
The Municipality of Clarington is not responsible for damage to landscape components in violation of the Clarington’s Boulevard By-law. Any repairs will be the sole responsibility of the property owner.
Fraudulent applications will be subject to fees and charges associated with the actual cost of service.

Questions

For questions about the application process or eligibility requirements, please contact communityservices@clarington.net or 905-623-3379 ext. 2552.

For all other questions about the snow clearing program, please contact the Public Works Department at operations@clarington.net or 905-623-3379 ext. 2291.