Winter maintenance is performed between November 1 to March 31 of each year. The Town follows the winter maintenance requirements from the Minimum Maintenance Standards for Ontario Highways. The Town's roads are regularly patrolled to record road and weather conditions and call out plows.
There is no practical way to plow the roads without depositing snow at the end of your driveway. While this may be an inconvenience to you, the Town's main concern is to keep the roadways clear. You are responsible for clearing any snow from you own driveway and sidewalks, but as per the Ontario Highway Traffic Act R.S.O. 1990 c. H.8 s.181, no person shall deposit snow or ice on a roadway or sidewalk without permission in writing to do so from the Ministry of Transportation or the road authority responsible for the maintenance of the road.
Parking in Winter
We remind you that you cannot park a vehicle that interferes with the removal of snow from any road, sidewalk, or municipal parking lot. You must not park a vehicle on any municipal roadway, including the boulevard, between the hours of 2:00 am and 7:00 am from November 15th of any year to April 30th of the following year. Your vehicle will be ticketed and/or towed at your expense. Please also obey all posted parking signs in municipal parking lots as well.
Sidewalk Snow Clearing
The Town of South Bruce Peninsula has a sidewalk snow clearing by-law #38-2021. In accordance with this by-law, the Town provides winter maintenance on the core sidewalks, and seasonally closes the sidewalks that do not receive winter maintenance by the Town. Maps of the Town's sidewalks are included in the by-law.
The Town maintains a walking path only, to a snow-packed condition. Within the downtown area of Wiarton, the adjacent property owners or occupants shall be responsible for the application of salt, as needed, to maintain an ice-free walkway surface. In this area, the owners/occupants are also responsible to clear gaps in the roadside snowbanks to allow access for patrons between the sidewalk and the parking spaces.
Damage to Mailboxes and Garbage Bins
Make sure your mailbox can withstand heavy snow thrown by passing plow trucks this winter. Common repairs include replacing loose hinges on a mailbox door, remounting a mailbox post that may have become loose or rotten, and replacing or adding house numbers. Repairing your mailbox and making sure the post is securely set in the ground, will help it withstand the force of the heavy snow coming off the snow plows.
You are also asked to keep the snow removed from around your mailbox and garbage bin so it is visible to plow operators. If you are a seasonal resident, we ask that you either keep your mailbox and garbage bin clear of snow, or completely remove them from the road's edge if they are not being used over the winter.
Damage to mailboxes and garbage bins resulting from snow plowing will be evaluated on a case by case basis. Mailboxes and garbage bins that are damaged by actual physical contact with Town equipment will be repaired at the Town's expense, but only if they were properly located and installed, and only if the snow has been cleared from around them. You are responsible for repair or replacement of the mailbox or garbage bin if they were damaged by the pressure of the plowed snow and there was no physical contact with the plow equipment, or if the snow was not removed from around the mailbox or garbage bin and it was not visible by plow operators.
As you inspect your mailbox it is also a good time to install reflectors that make your mailbox and garbage bin easier to see during storms or during dark hours. It is a good idea to also make sure your house number is visible on your mailbox to assist mail carriers and emergency crews.
It is very uncommon that a mailbox or garbage bin is directly contacted with snow removal equipment. The average number of mailboxes that receive direct contact from snow removal equipment during a snow storm is less than one percent. For further information, please see the Town's policy regarding Town Damage to Private Property, which deals with damaged mailboxes and disturbed grass areas.
Winter Driving Safety Tips
- Always drive according to road and weather conditions.
- Keep a safe distance from plow trucks – if you can't see the mirrors, they can't see you!
- Get your vehicle winter-ready with an ice scraper, freeze-resistant washer fluid and winter tires.
