Effort to tackle windrows faces hurdle with city council

Every winter season, snowplow operators push snow to the sides of Greater Sudbury streets, creating mounds of snow at the base of driveways.

These mounds of snow, called windrows, are a point of contention among residents every winter, and Ward 2 Coun. Eric Benoit** wants the city to look at what they can do to help out.

This effort faced criticism during this week’s operations committee meeting of city council, prompting Ward 3 Coun. Michel Brabant, who tabled the motion on Benoit’s behalf, to withdraw the motion. It’s to be tabled again at a future meeting after he confers with Benoit and city staff.

“I understand the spirit of why Coun. Benoit brought this motion forward,” Ward 5 Coun. Mike Parent said during the meeting, adding that all city council members receive phone calls about windrows.

However, he added, those municipalities who have programs are typically in southern Ontario, where their winter storm events are less frequent and severe.

“Residents who are frustrated about snow removal already, if they procure this service through the city, who are they going to call… the city,” Parent said. 

“I think we’d be taking on a new level of responsibility and associated challenges with that if we were to proceed.”

Ward 4 Coun. Pauline Fortin questioned why the city would get involved in a service offered by private businesses.

“I don’t think that’s part of the city’s core mandate,” she said, prompting city Linear Infrastructure Services director Joe Rocca to later add, “I would agree with that type of an assessment.”

“The services the city provides are related to maintaining the roadways themselves and maintaining a safe travel area for vehicles travelling down the roadways, and have historically always left maintenance at the end of a driveway to the private property owner,” Rocca said.

Indeed, the city’s website notes, “The City of Greater Sudbury is not responsible for snow removal at the end of private driveways.”

Benoit told Sudbury.com the program would come with the caveat that it would be full cost-recovery and at no additional cost to those who don’t benefit from the program.

His motion didn’t call for immediate implementation of the program, but for city staff to present a report to the operations committee meeting in early 2026 “outlining a potential windrow removal pilot program, including projected costs and resources required to administer the program, and options for service levels, eligibility criteria and fees to be charged.”

During this week’s meeting, Brabant cited the Town of Milton’s windrow removal program as an example. They offer their program to residents 65 years of age and older and people with disabilities at a cost of $66 for the winter season. Registrants must not have any able-bodied people under the age of 65 living at their residence.

After the meeting, Benoit told Sudbury.com that he understands the criticisms the windrow removal idea faced earlier in the week, but would still like to request the report from city staff so they know what their options are.

It’s an issue that comes up frequently in conversations with area residents, he said, and “it’s something worth looking into. … If staff come back and say it’s not feasible, it’s not feasible.”

Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.

**Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Ward 2 Coun. Eric Benoit's ward. That has been corrected.