Mayor’s Mailbag – December 2023 Roundup – Warming Centres; & Snow-Clearing Operations

Mayor's Mailbag
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Welcome to the Mayor’s Mailbag – December 2023 roundup.The Mayor’s Monday Mailbag is a weekly initiative Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and the Mayor’s Office has launched to share answers to questions from the public we’ve received through our main email inbox at mayor@burlington.ca or the Mayor’s social media platforms.At the end of the month, we publish a roundup of those most pressing questions we’ve received in the weeks prior.Mayor’s Mailbag – December 2023 Roundup

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WARMING CENTRESQUESTION:“How does the City of Burlington and Region of Halton protect those in need during extreme cold weather events?”ANSWER:Cold warnings are issued by Halton Region during any of the following weather conditions:

  • Daily predicted low of -15°C without wind chill
  • Environment and Climate Change Canada issues an Extreme Cold Warning for outdoor activity when temperature or wind chill reach -30°C for at least 2 consecutive hours

When a cold warning is issued by Halton Region, the City of Burlington provides warming centres at our Burlington Public Library branches during business hours (these also function as cooling centres during hot weather events). Notice is provided on the City’s dedicated webpage here: https://www.burlington.ca/Modules/News/en/Weather#Cold-Weather. Members of the public can stay warm at designated at a library branch, and pets may come inside with their owners to stay warm too.Notices are also provided on the City’s News and Notices page, in conjunction with the cold weather alert. Members of the public can subscribe to receive the notices directly to their email when a new notice is posted.You can also learn more about how to stay warm and safe in the winter months and sign up to receive cold alerts from Halton Region at www.halton.ca/coldAfter Hours & OvernightAfter hours and overnight, Halton Region has agreements with local motels to provide emergency shelter until more permanent housing can be secured for any individual in need.The Region also operates a shelter for women and children (located in Burlington) and a shelter for men (located in Oakville) that serve all of Halton residents. We’ve addressed the issue of supports and shelter for people who are experiencing homelessness in past Mayor’s Monday Mailbags, see these links:

Halton Regional staff also recently provided an update to Regional Council on Homelessness and Encampments in Halton.This method of providing temporary accommodation for homeless individuals in need in Halton provides privacy, comfort and dignity for the individual in need, who will also be connected to all other wrap-around services Halton provides. We provide this service year round, 24/7, 365 days, in hot and cold weather, and is a more comprehensive, specialized response to individuals in need than a temporary centre can provide.If you know someone who is homeless and needs assistance, please direct them to 311 or accesshalton@halton.ca for assistance. After hours, you can contact the Halton Regional Police Services non-emergency line at 905-825-4777 and they will dispatch their Community Outreach And Support Team (COAST) to contact the individual and offer available supports.City and Regional Council fund and vote on these supports through our annual budget discussions at both tables. The budget books, showing library investments (at the city), as well as homelessness prevention (at the region), are available online. In-year operational deployment of these resources are not voted on separately by council, but simply deployed by staff once we approve their budgets.

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SNOW-CLEARING OPERATIONSQUESTION:“What happens when the City of Burlington declares a snow event? What can I do to help along the City’s snow-clearing efforts and how to get I get updates on them?”ANSWER:With winter around the corner, the City of Burlington is reminding residents about our snow-clearing service levels and offering tips for staying informed about the City’s response during a snow storm.Snow EventsSalting of primary and secondary roads is initiated at the start of every snowfall event and plowing will occur when an accumulation of 5 cm is reached. When accumulation reaches 7.5 cm, the City will declare a “Snow Event” in order to advise that local residential road plowing will occur and to announce the prohibition of all on-street parking. During a snow event, road clearing updates will be sent to Snow Control Update subscribers at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. To receive Snow Control Updates by email, visit burlington.ca/subscribe — to subscribe to receive these updates.When weather events such as snow or freezing rain become more extreme and safe travel becomes more challenging, the City may decide to close some or all City facilities such as community centres, pools, arenas and City Hall.It is important for people to know that a declared snow event does not automatically mean all City facilities are closed or programs are cancelled.Potential City Facility Closures – Stay InformedWhen City facilities are closed due to weather, residents can stay informed by subscribing to Facility, Sports Field and Pool Closure updates at burlington.ca/subscribe. Residents can also check our website at burlington.ca/facilityclosures. The recorded message at 905-335-7738 will also be updated when recreation facilities are closed due to inclement weather.On occasion, a recreation program may be cancelled when City facilities remain open. If a program is cancelled when the facility remains open, City staff will make all efforts to contact the participants in advance.Snow-Clearing Service Levels

  • Residential roads are not maintained to bare pavement but are sanded as required at intersections, hills and sharp curves to enhance traction.
  • All sidewalks are plowed after 5 cm of accumulation and salted or sanded as required.
  • Roads will generally be cleared 24-hours after the snowfall has ended. Heavy snowfalls or successive storms can sometimes extend this period longer than 24 hours. Please be patient as our crews work to clear the busiest streets first.
  • The City is not responsible for clearing windrows left on driveways when the plow passes. If you think you will need help clearing the windrow, please make arrangements such as speaking with your neighbours, family members or hire a contractor.

Road and Sidewalk Plow TrackerResidents can visit burlington.focus511.com to see which streets have been plowed. New this year, the City has added sidewalk snow clearing operations to it’s tracking system as well. The tracker provides close to real-time snow clearing updates using GPS technology to track the progress of City’s plows as they clear roads during a Snow Event. When plows pass over a road, the colour of the road on the map changes to indicate a plow is operating in the area. As the clean-up continues, roads throughout the city will change colour until all plowing is complete.Parking During the WinterSnow events and parking restrictions are announced through the City’s social media as well as through Snow Control Updates which can be found at burlington.ca/snow. Snow Control Updates can also be emailed to any resident who subscribes.When a snow event is declared, there is no parking on any city streets until after the snow event has been declared over. The City thanks residents for their cooperation to move their vehicles off city streets to help with snow clearing operations. Residents who park their cars on streets blocking snow removal could be faced with a $120 parking ticket or be towed. The declaration of a snow event means that we expect a large volume of snow that will require clearing. Residents may still be subject to a ticket for parking which impedes road operations despite the actual snow volume.All existing parking exemptions are invalid during snow events.What Residents Can DoDuring the winter season, the City of Burlington maintains 1,900 lane kilometres of roads and 850 km of sidewalks. Residents can help with the removal of snow from streets and sidewalks by following road safety and parking rules:

  • Please wait until 24-hours after the snowfall has ended before calling or emailing your road concerns and 48 hours for sidewalk enquiries. It takes time to clean up after a storm; please give us 24-hours after the snow has ended to do this work. Your patience is appreciated.
  • Do not park vehicles on the street during a snowfall or declared Snow Event. Also, please do not leave vehicles over the sidewalk while in your driveway as this can prevent the sidewalk plow from completing its work.
  • Do not shovel, plow or blow snow from residential or commercial properties onto the road or across the road. This poses a hazard to motorists and is prohibited by the Ontario Highway Traffic Act and City bylaw.
  • Snowplows need room to clear the snow. Please stay back 20 meters as sand and salt may be dropping from the trucks. This also gives you room to stop safely.
  • Do not pile snow in the bike lanes in front of your residence or business.
  • Give snowplows plenty of space at intersections. The snowplow may need two or more lanes to turn or to get through the intersection. If a snowplow is waiting to turn left at an intersection, do not pull up and stop underneath or in front of the wing plow (the plow attached to the right side of the truck). Your vehicle could be struck by the plow when the truck pulls forward.

Related Links:

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RELATED LINKS:

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Mayor Meed Ward’s Weekly Update: Dec. 18-31, 2023