Town Council approves windrow snow clearing program for 2022/23

By Mike Anderson

On May 4, Georgina Town Council approved a staff recommendation to make windrow snow clearing part of the Town’s regular winter maintenance.

That means seniors and residents with disabilities will be able to apply to get the Town to remove the heavy snow left by plows from the base of their driveways (windrow) within 24 hours of snow plows clearing the roads and sidewalks.

The annual program, which costs $100,000 to operate, will run from November 15 to March 15.

While windrow snow clearing programs have proved popular in other municipalities, there are some limitations to Georgina’s.

The service only kicks in after a minimum 3-inch (7.5-centimetre) snowfall event.

And only one car width of snow, approx. 7-feet will be removed from the end of the driveway.

Snow is not removed, but stored either within the boulevard or on-site, and will not be cleared from private driveways, private walkways, or sidewalks.

Also, driveways fronting private roads, roads undergoing development, or roads not yet assumed by the Town are exempt from the program.

Still, Town staff say that if winter maintenance has been done in the past on an unassumed road, the windrow clearing service will also be available.

There are also eligibility requirements.

Windrow clearing will only be provided to households where all members are over 65.

However, residents under 65 may be eligible, if they are physically unable to remove snow.

But they must provide a doctor’s note, on the doctor’s letterhead, or a disability certificate.

And all of the occupants of the address, over the age of 12, must also be physically unable to remove snow.

Applications for the service will be capped at 500, and will be considered in the order they were submitted.

Both online and in-person applications will be accepted once the application window opens on August 1. But applications must be submitted by October 15.

Applications can be dropped off at the Civic Centre or Georgina Public Library branches.

Residents can submit an online application via the Town’s website, www.georgina.ca.