How well did London clear snow this winter? 2 councillors want a review

Icy sidewalks, unplowed roads and difficulty getting to school are just some of the complaints piling up from London residents who faced challenges getting around in the ice and snow this past winter.

Now, two councillors are calling for a review of the city's snow and ice removal — and what needs to improve. 

London's Ward 7 councillor Corrine Rahman and Ward 11 councillor Skylar Franke are putting forward a motion to the infrastructure and corporate services committee with a vote at Wednesday's meeting. 

"I think our staff do a great job. I think that the contractors that help us out do a great job, but there's always room for improvement," Rahman said. 

The review would look at how the city used contracted services during the 2024-2025 winter season, alternative options for snow and ice removal on roads and sidewalks, clearance around schools, and suggestions for new machinery to help with windrows, which form when snow is left at the end of a driveway after a plow has cleared the road. 

"In Old South and Wortley Village where there's a lot of people who walk around to get to work, to the bus and to school, I was hearing a lot of complaints about icy sidewalks," said Franke, adding that while most complaints were from pedestrians, she also heard from drivers about a need for faster snow clearance on the road.

She also heard from families near Woodland Heights Public School on Springbank Drive who had challenges walking, she said. 

"The main entrance is off Springbank, but most people come from the neighbourhood behind the school and those pathways are not maintained in the winter."

Meanwhile, Rahman said windrows are a key issue among many residents in her ward. 

"A lot of people sent me a video that was being shared on social media about how to get the snow not to build up at the end of your driveways when the plows go by," she said, adding that a review could highlight suggestions that other communities have already adopted to fix maintenance issues. 

The review is also a way for residents to learn how much money is needed for potential changes, Rahman said. 

"It's always good to know the cost of those kinds of services so people can really think about it from the perspective of council and what kinds of considerations we have to make for service improvements," she said. 

City teams clear close to 4,000 kms of roadway and more than 1,700 kms of sidewalk in the winter, said Joel Gillard, the city's division manager of road operations, in an email. He said they prioritize high traffic routes before clearing local streets and cul de sacs. 

"This winter has been very busy for our crews responding to all of the snow, and we recognize the winter weather has continued later in the season than what Londoners have previously experienced the past few years," Gillard said. 

Franke said the goal is to get committee approval Wednesday so the conversation can go to council sometime this spring. 

"We're hoping to get this done so that next winter, we can really address people's concerns and try to make the city easier to walk around in the winter," she said.