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Local resident asks for Council’s help in clearing winter windrows

March 19, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

If you own a home in Canada, there’s no doubt you have experienced the frustration of shovelling your driveway after a snowfall, only to come out later and find that the snowplow has filled in the end of the driveway where you have just spent an hour clearing.

You can either attempt to drive over the new pile of snow or get out your shovel again and spend another hour clearing hard-packed snow.

The pile of snow pushed to the side of the street and onto your driveway is known as a ‘windrow.’

Local resident Anita Cohen gave a deputation at a New Tecumseth council meeting on March 9, requesting help in clearing windrows in the winter months.

Cohen explained that, as a senior citizen living independently, she relies on “safe roads and accessible driveways” to maintain her independence.

“After each snowfall and subsequent plowing, residents are often blocked in or out of their driveways when they come home,” Ms. Cohen stated. “It impacts many households across the town.”

Ms. Cohen acknowledged that snow removal is complex and costly and would require careful budgetary consideration.

The windrows, Ms. Cohen says, can trap her in her own home because her vehicle cannot pass over the accumulated pile of snow at the end of the driveway.

“Just as residents are not permitted to push snow onto the street, snow from the street should not impede access to private property,” Ms. Cohen said.

Some municipalities have already started a windrow removal program. The City of Vaughan has a program in which a secondary vehicle with a plow travels through subdivisions, plowing out the ends of residents’ driveways.

The town responded that staff have already consulted with other municipalities that have started windrow programs to learn about the different types of windrow removal and associated costs.

Other towns have had varied success with a windrow removal program. The cost to New Tecumseth would range from $500,000 to $2.5 million, depending on the type of program used.

As the 2026 budget has already been passed, a windrow removal program for the upcoming winter is not feasible.

Council accepted the deputation and passed a motion to look into a future program, with an emphasis on helping those in need with accessibility and mobility issues. 

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