Heavy snow will be cleared from all driveways in Mississauga

Mississauga has approved a plan to clear troublesome windrows from the bottom of people’s snowy driveways across the entire city starting late in 2025.

Windrows, the difficult-to-move piles of hard-packed snow (and ice) left at the end of driveways after the streets are plowed, have been a contentious issue in Mississauga the past few years as residents have been pushing council to deliver a winter plan to keep their driveways accessible.

As part of the City of Mississauga’s 2025 budget, given narrow approval by councillors on Wednesday, a 3.3 per cent increase ($224 per household) on the residential property tax bill for the average homeowner includes $21 per household for city-wide windrow removal to be implemented for the 2025-26 winter season.

Secondary sidewalk snow clearing (at an additional $7 per household) and enhanced snow removal for bike lanes ($1) are also part of the city’s plan.

Mississauga joins several other Greater Toronto Area municipalities in providing windrow clearing to all residents. Toronto, Richmond Hill and Vaughan currently offer the snow- and ice-clearing service.

For this upcoming winter, Mississauga’s Driveway Windrow Snow Clearing Program again invited residents aged 65 and over and those with a physical disability to apply to get help clearing windrows.

The program runs from Nov. 22 until next March 24. Applications have closed.

City officials noted Wednesday that while the 2025 budget has been given the green light by council, it’s not etched in stone and changes can still be made into the spring of next year.

Gianluca Ferrari, president of the Huron Heights Residents Association in central Mississauga, said people of all ages require help clearing windrows during winter.

Prior to council’s approval of the plan on Wednesday, city officials heard from a new residents’ group on the matter of windrows and the need to help people clear them from their driveways.

Gianluca Ferrari, president of the Huron Heights Residents Association in central Mississauga, said people of all ages, particularly seniors and those with physical limitations, require help with heavy snow.

He said the group was disappointed the program “didn’t get off the ground last year,” but residents will appreciate it starting next year.

Ferrari noted one of the major complaints last year from many residents was repair costs incurred after their snow-clearing machines were damaged while removing windrows.

He said the city’s plan to clear all the windrows starting in late 2025 will have a broader benefit as well.

“We often talk about how gridlock costs our economy; that gridlock starts on your driveway when you have to pull out and stop to clear your windrow,” he told councillors.

Table shows costs associated with amendments made to the city’s earlier budget proposal. (Source: City of Mississauga)

The matter of windrows became a big issue during winter 2022-23 when several major storms left numbers of people in Mississauga trapped in their homes, unable to clear the heavy snow and ice themselves.

Mississauga councillors said at the time they fielded more windrow complaints from residents than ever before.

Windrows have also been a significant source of growing public frustration in recent years that hit new heights in early 2023, culminating in several isolated incidents in which angry residents attacked Mississauga snow plow drivers and their machines.

In response, city councillors at that time discussed adopting a Mississauga-wide program.

In May 2023, faced with a staff report that showed it would cost $11.6 million a year to run a city-wide windrow-clearing service, council decided against the move.