In Ottawa, if someone is injured due to snow or ice on a sidewalk near your property, you may be held responsible. Property owners are required to ensure that the sidewalks, public areas, and stairways adjacent to their homes are adequately cleared and treated with grit.
Attention Homeowners: You Could Be Held Liable for Injuries!
In Ottawa, if someone is injured due to snow or ice on a sidewalk near your property, you may be held responsible. Property owners are required to ensure that the sidewalks, public areas, and stairways adjacent to their homes are adequately cleared and treated with grit. This responsibility also applies to vacant and unused properties. Often, homeowners delegate these duties to tenants or property managers.
Clearing Requirements: Timely and Thorough
In Ottawa, public sidewalks, footpaths, stairs, and pedestrian zones must be cleared and treated by 7 AM on weekdays and 8 AM on weekends and public holidays, maintaining a minimum width of 1.5 meters. If snow falls or ice forms during the day, you must promptly clear and/or grit these areas again, continuing this process as necessary until 9 PM.
If there are no sidewalks on either side of the road, a 1.5-meter strip must be cleared and treated on each side.
In areas where multiple homes share the same sidewalk, all affected homeowners are jointly responsible for its maintenance.
Snow should be pushed to the edge of the sidewalk nearest to the road to ensure that pedestrians can cross the street safely.
Environmental Considerations
To protect the environment, it is important to avoid using chemical deicing agents. Instead, use materials that provide grip, such as sand or grit. On slopes, a mixture of salt with grit or sand can be used, but the salt content should not exceed one-third of the total. In areas where salt could potentially reach the roots of trees and shrubs, this mixture is generally prohibited.
Accessibility for Waste Collection
It is essential to keep pathways leading to waste bins clear so that full bins can be easily rolled to the curb for collection. Neglected paths can hinder waste collection, particularly for larger bins.
Municipal Snow-Clearing Operations in Ottawa
Ottawa’s municipal snow-clearing team is on standby during winter weather conditions. They begin operations early in the morning when snow or ice is forecasted, typically starting at 4 AM. The team is responsible for clearing roads and sidewalks throughout the day, with operations continuing until 10 PM. An emergency shift may also operate overnight to ensure roads remain clear.
Priority for Major Roads
The first areas to be cleared in Ottawa include major traffic routes, through-roads, streets used by public transit (like buses and OC Transport), and access points to hospitals, schools, and industrial areas. Following these, the focus shifts to busy distributor and connecting roads. While the municipal team is not obligated to treat every road or sidewalk, they will clear snow and ice as needed. Ultimately, maintaining sidewalks and footpaths is the responsibility of local residents, and your diligence helps keep the community safe
