Toronto city council has approved a plan to develop a paid pool of emergency snow shovellers, but debate at city hall revealed ongoing concerns about enforcement and how the program will work in practice.
Council voted to adopt the proposal this week, directing city staff in coordination with Local 416 and multiple city departments to design a “surge capacity” sidewalk shovelling program modelled after cities like New York, Minneapolis, and Montreal, with a target rollout by the 2026-2027 winter season.
The motion passed 17 to 9, with a separate amendment to include Local 416, the union representing many municipal workers, passing by a wider margin.
Despite the approval, some councillors argued the city is overlooking the root of the problem.
“The core problem is sharing the workload,” said Coun. James Pasternak, pointing to property owners and institutions that fail to clear sidewalks despite existing obligations. “Unless there’s a better enforcement regime and a better public education system, we will not solve it.”
Questions were also raised about how the program would be implemented and monitored.
Coun. Jamaal Myers pressed city staff on whether individuals would be responsible for clearing sidewalks in their own neighbourhoods and what would happen if those areas were missed.
“This would be individuals living on a street who would take it upon themselves to shovel sidewalks during certain snow events,” Myers said.
He also raised concerns about maintaining accessibility standards for seniors and people with disabilities.
“Would these individuals also be held to that standard to make sure that the work done would be passable for individuals with motorized wheelchairs, canes, or seniors?” he asked.
City staff said the program has not yet been fully developed, and details, including oversight, accessibility requirements, and enforcement, will be addressed as part of the planning process.
Supporters of the motion say the initiative is meant to supplement existing services during extreme weather.
“We saw more snow this past winter than we’ve seen in many winters,” said Coun. Amber Morley, describing the difficulty of clearing “mountains and mountains of ice blocks” across the city.
Morley said the city needs to adapt to more frequent severe storms.
“We can expect them to continue, and we can continue to look at good ideas to empower Torontonians to get paid to roll up their sleeves and be part of solutions,” she said.
She added that the program would only be activated when the city’s current capacity is overwhelmed.
“We’re not looking to completely upend how we do snow removal in this city,” Morley said. “But to increase our capacity when it’s needed and ensure that people have safe and accessible access to our city, especially those that are disabled or have mobility challenges.”
City staff are expected to report back with a detailed plan before next winter, as councillors continue to weigh whether the program will improve response times or add new challenges to the system.
