Our staff work hard to clear, maintain, and provide safe routes of travel during the winter over our 413 kilometers of roads. We clear accumulated snow, and apply salt, sand or a salt/sand mixture to our roads.

All roads are cleared after every major storm.

Canadian winters can be harsh, and we appreciate your patience as we work to clear roads during bad weather events. It is important to remember to avoid travelling in bad weather unless absolutely necessary, and to drive carefully and according to weather and road conditions if needed.

Snow Plow Routes

There are 13 plow routes in the Municipality of Meaford. Ten of these routes are dedicated to roads, while the other three include parking lots and sidewalk clearing.

Road Classes

Roads are cleared in priority order based on their road class. Road classes are determined by the traffic counts for each road, so more highly-travelled roads are cleared first during snow events.

Road clearing standards are set by the Province of Ontario. Here are the regulations for each road class:

Class of HighwayDepth (cm)Response Time

1

2.5

4 hours

2

5

6 hours

3

8

12 hours

4

8

16 hours

5

10

24 hours

See the Urban Road Class Map or Rural Road Class Map to find out class of roads in your area.

Sidewalks

About 60% of our urban roads have sidewalks. The sidewalk plow route focuses on the downtown core, main street, and school areas.

The “no winter maintenance” sidewalks are deemed too narrow, do not lead anywhere, or cannot be maintained because of other issues.

For more information, see the Sidewalk Maintenance Map.

Significant Weather Events

The Municipality of Meaford may declare a Significant Weather Event during periods of bad weather. This means that municipal roads are currently in a “state of repair” as our staff work to clear the roads, and protects the municipality from liability during hazardous weather.

Any declarations of significant weather events will be released to the media, and posted on our website and social media pages.

Snow Clearing Tips

When clearing snow from your driveway, please remember to:

  • Not push or blow snow into the streets or sidewalks.
  • Keep fire hydrants clear so they are accessible in case of an emergency.
  • Keep children from playing on or tunneling through snow banks as they may slip into the roadway, or have tunnels collapse
  • Make sure your garbage and recycling bins are visible from the street and not placed on top of snow banks, out of reach of the operators.
  • Keep your vehicle off the road so the roads can be ploughed thoroughly and so your vehicle doesn't get ploughed in.

Damage to Property

If you believe a snow plow has damaged your mailbox, landscaping, or other property please submit a request to roadsinquiry@meaford.ca with the following information:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Contact Information
  • Description of the Damage
  • Approximate date and time of the damage

Staff will review your request and provide a response.

Provide Feedback

If you would like to provide feedback on your snow clearing service, please complete the Roads Inquiry Online Form.

Staff will review your submission and respond as soon as possible.

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