On December 16, 2019 Pickering Council approved a report entitled Level of Service – Review of Winter Activities within Public Works which enhanced the delivery of services for the 2020/2021 winter season and beyond. View Report CS 31-19 for more information. This was updated by way of follow up Report CS 14-21 and received by Council February 22, 2021.

Sidewalks

In accordance with Ice and Snow Clearing By-law 6650/06, as amended, property owners are required to clear snow and ice from their sidewalks within 24 hours after a snowfall.

To assist City staff clearing sidewalks, please do not park your vehicle over the sidewalk as it impedes our sidewalk clearing machines and is dangerous for all users. In addition, the stopping of a vehicle over a sidewalk is prohibited under the Traffic and Parking By-law and vehicles found in contravention could be subjected to a fine.

The City salts and plows sidewalks in the following locations:

  • on regional roads
  • fronting municipal parks or property such as City Hall and Fire Halls
  • fronting Public or Catholic Schools
  • on sidewalks that are on rear frontages (such as Dixie Road)
  • on street-to-street walkways
  • on some sidewalks which are adjacent to curb (i.e. no boulevard)
  • on crosswalks and some pathways through parks
  • within the designated downtown core

Parks

Most municipal parks, with the exception of some parking lots, are not maintained in the winter, so paths and walkways running throughout are not cleared or salted. No winter maintenance signs are posted accordingly to advise users.

Roads

Pickering is divided into 12 urban routes and 2 rural routes, clearing each within a Priority Routing System. Priority Routes are identified as Collector (Main) roads and carry higher volumes of traffic. These are the roads people use to get to business areas, hospitals and in and out of the city. Bus routes are also considered priority routes. The "local" roads are primarily residential and these are systematically plowed after the Priority Routes are completed. New for the Seaton Community are “Mews” or Laneways which require specialized vehicles to clear snow due to their narrow width.