Fill up the snow blower, brush off the shovels, and get ready for winter; snow clearing and winter parking in Welland doesn’t have to be a hassle.
With a little planning and cooperation, we can keep streets, sidewalks, and neighbourhoods safer for everyone. And remember, with significant snowfalls, things take time, but City staff work around the clock to get streets and sidewalks cleared as quickly and safely as possible.
Snow clearing standards
The City of Welland follows provincial Minimum Maintenance Standards, which set consistent, safety-based expectations for how municipalities respond to winter weather.
These standards guide how roads are cleared based on their classification, from major arterial roads to local residential streets. Roads with higher traffic volumes are addressed first, while local residential streets can safely remain snow-covered longer during a storm.
For local roads, the standards allow for up to 10 centimetres of snow accumulation before plowing is required, with up to 24 hours permitted to complete plowing once conditions allow. During significant weather events, response times may be extended to support safe and effective operations as crews work through the city.
Snow clearing operations
Each winter, the City of Welland clears approximately 315 kilometres of roadways and maintains six sidewalk clearing routes covering about 78 kilometres of sidewalks across the community.
Snow clearing operations follow provincial standards and use a coordinated, city-wide approach to support safe travel and pedestrian movement throughout the winter season.
Road clearing priorities
Roads are cleared according to their role in the transportation network, including:
- arterial roads
- collector
- local residential streets
This priority system helps ensure that higher-traffic routes are addressed first before crews move into residential neighbourhoods, supporting safe travel while making the best use of available resources during winter weather.
Sidewalk clearing
Sidewalk clearing in Welland is a shared responsibility. The City maintains six sidewalk clearing routes that focus on key corridors and priority areas throughout the community to support safe pedestrian movement during winter conditions.
Property owners also play an important role. Under the City’s Sidewalk Snow Clearing By-law 2008-185, owners are required to clear snow and ice from sidewalks bordering their property within 24 hours after a substantial snowfall.
