(Barrie, ON) If it feels like we’ve seen an unusual amount of snow already, that’s because we have. Barrie has already seen significant snowfall well above typical early-season levels, with multiple lake-effect snow events dumping upwards of 80 cm of snow since November 1. Barrie’s winter maintenance crews are working around the clock to keep roads and sidewalks safe and passable. Despite the unprecedented early-season conditions, plow operators continue to manage the heavy accumulation and respond as quickly as possible.
“The volume and frequency of snowfall we’ve experienced this early in the season is unprecedented,” says Dave Friary, Director of Operations. “Our crews have been working nonstop, often in back-to-back storms, to manage the accumulation. We want residents to know that every available resource is out on the road.”
Here are some winter maintenance reminders in the City of Barrie:
Plowing of City roads
Priority and secondary roads are serviced when at least five cm of snow has fallen. Priority and secondary roads are cleaned up 6 to 8 hours after the end of snowfall. Residential routes are plowed when there is at least eight cm of snow. The goal is to have residential routes plowed 12–24 hours after the end of a snow event. With Barrie's Plow Tracker, you can track the progress of the road plows and see when your street was last serviced. A reminder—plows can’t avoid leaving snow at the bottom of driveways because they can’t lift the blades in between driveways.
Sidewalk plowing
Sidewalk plowing is done on priority sidewalks when five cm of snow falls and on secondary sidewalks when there’s eight cm of snow. If you see a sidewalk plow driving on the road, there’s a good reason—they’re travelling to their next destination for plowing because it’s faster than travelling on the sidewalk. Winter road and sidewalk maintenance updates are posted at barrie.ca/snow.
Parking restrictions
A reminder that on-street parking is not permitted on City streets from 12:01–7 a.m. and 3–6 a.m. within the Downtown Business Improvement Area, from December 1 through March 31. This ensures that the streets can be completely cleared and that large emergency vehicles can get down the street. On-street parking is permitted on the following dates and times unless a "Winter Maintenance Event" is declared by 4 p.m. on the day prior (December 24, 25, or 31):
- 12:01 a.m. to 7 a.m. on December 25
- 12:01 a.m. to 7 a.m. on December 26
- 12:01 a.m. to 7 a.m. on January 1
Waste collection
Shovel out a small area at the bottom of your driveway for your garbage cart, organics cart, and recycling bins. Do not place them on top, behind, or within 2 ft (0.6 m) of a snowbank. Place carts out of the path for snow removal equipment.
Why the City doesn’t clear windrows
Windrows—the pile of snow left at the end of a driveway after the road plow passes—are a common frustration, especially during heavy snowfall. While residents often ask why the City can’t clear every windrow, the scale and cost of providing this service in Barrie make it impractical.
Unlike some municipalities south of us, which receive less than half of Barrie’s annual snowfall, clearing windrows here would require a major new program. Early estimates show it would cost more than $12 million every year, plus $8.5 million in new equipment, and would require about 45 additional machines and more than 90 contracted personnel dedicated solely to windrow clearing. Even then, the service would only push most of the snow aside, requiring residents to still clear what remains.
For these reasons and given the volume of snow Barrie receives each winter, the City focuses its resources on keeping roads, sidewalks, and emergency routes clear and safe.
Thank you to all residents for your patience and understanding as our crews work tirelessly through this early-season snowfall.