This winter has been challenging for northern towns like Sault Ste. Marie, where residents are facing difficulties clearing their driveways of heavy snow and ice left behind by city plows. To address this issue, the City of Sault Ste. Marie is considering hiring private contractors to remove the large piles of snow and ice at the edge of residential driveways, known as windrows.
City council recently agreed to assess the cost of employing private contractors for this task after receiving complaints from residents struggling to clear the accumulated ice chunks. Councilor Luke Dufour highlighted the challenges faced by residents in clearing such heavy snow and ice, especially when lacking the necessary equipment or physical ability.
In the past, the city attempted to clear windrows using front-end loaders but found limited success due to equipment limitations. Dufour suggested that residential tractor blower models with rear-mounted blowers may be more effective for this task. The city is already exploring the cost of public works using suitable equipment to clear windrows, with the recent motion by council seeking to enhance this effort.
Dufour emphasized the impracticality of expanding the city’s fleet and workforce for this service, proposing that seeking estimates from private contractors who already offer such services to many customers could be more cost-effective and feasible. A report on the estimated cost of hiring private contractors is expected to be presented by city staff this summer.
If approved in time for next winter, the agreement with private contractors would come into effect after regular snow removal operations are completed. It would still be the homeowners’ responsibility to clear their portion of the driveway following standard plowing events.