Winter Roads & Maintenance

Winter Response is active only during the months of November to April.

The Town’s goal is to put the safety of everyone first! So, what does that exactly mean while it is snowing? The Town is responsible for maintaining over 400 km roads, 150 km sidewalks, 37 km trails, 27 parking lots and 53 school crossings.

Have a snow concern? Report it here.

Explore additional snow tips and reminders

Snow Removal

Order of Prioritization

Primary Roads

While it is snowing the Town will clear all primary roads first. These are the roads that provide access to Regional Roads, schools, community centers and industrial/commercial areas.

Secondary Roads

The Town will then move on to secondary roads. These roads feed primary and tiertiary roads. Some of these roads include Ravenscroft, Williamson, Burcher, Monarch and Clover Ridge.

Tertiary Roads

The Town will focus on tertiary roads (residential streets), sidewalks/trails and parking lots.

If/When Snow Continues to Fall

During prolonged weather events, the Town routinely focuses every effort to ensure that all roads’ classifications are addressed in a timely manner, however the Town may need to shift the response to address primary roads and secondary roads. It is these roads that carry the most traffic volumes as well as required artery for all emergency vehicles who may be responding to an emergency call.

Snow removal for qualified residents

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants will be added to the program within seven days of your application being processed.

Residents 65 years of age or older, with no able-bodied persons under the age of 65 residing at this address. Or;
Unable to do the work due to a physical disability, as indicated by a doctor’s note

For more information and pricing, or to apply for the program, download the Application Form (PDF Version) or contact Operations & Environmental Services at 905-683-2951, Monday to Friday, between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Ajax Snow Removal Program for Qualified Residents

Windrows

Have a question about windrows? Please view our frequently asked questions below or download our windrow infographic.

The Town of Ajax provides essential snow clearing services before, during and after a snowfall, including maintaining roads, sidewalks, trails, emergency access roads, parking lots and school crossings.

It is important for home/property owners to understand their responsibilities versus Town responsibilities. Windrow clearing is the responsibility of the home/property owner.

Windrow FAQs

Significant Weather Events

Under Regulation 239/02, the Town of Ajax may declare a significant weather event following weather alerts issued by Environment Canada.

During a significant weather event, residents are advised to use extra caution and are reminded that winter maintenance service levels for roads and sidewalks may not be met. The following information provides an overview of frequently asked questions regarding a declared significant weather event.

A significant weather event is defined as an approaching or occurring weather hazard with the potential to pose a significant danger to the users of highways (streets) within a municipality. When hazardous weather is expected, Environment Canada will issue alerts under its Public Weather Alerting Program. Provincial legislation was updated in 2018 to allow municipalities to declare a significant weather event.

In the event that a Significant Weather Event is declared, the Town will, within its best efforts, communicate applicable details to the public through one or more of the following methods of communication:

Posting a notice on the Town’s website;
Sharing the notice on the Town’s relevant social media accounts (X: @townofajax, Facebook: @myajax and Instagram: @townofajax);
Distributing a media release to local news outlets;
Notifying the Town’s contact at the local OPP detachment;
Public notifications will be managed by the Town’s Communications & Engagement Team. If a Significant Weather Event is declared, please use caution when travelling on the roads and allow yourself extra time to reach your destination.

Help clear the roads, remove parked cars from the street and give equipment lots of room to manoeuvre.
Residents must clear snow at the end of their driveway.
Be a good neighbour, remove ice and snow from the sidewalk surrounding your home, within 24 hours of a snowfall.
The Town services roads on a priority system.
Super Mailboxes: the Town of Ajax does not perform snow removal operations around super mailboxes. Please contact Canada Post at www.canadapost.ca or by phone at 1-800-267-1177 for snow removal in this area.
Transit Shelters and Stops: Bus shelters and bus stops are the responsibility of the Region of Durham. Please contact the Region Transit Authority at 905-579-2471, if you have any questions regarding transit.

Sidewalks

When sidewalks will be cleared

The Town sidewalk plows clear about 150 km of Ajax’s 400 km of sidewalk. This cleanup will start after all roads have been cleared and can take up to 16 hours to complete. If snow continues to fall it can take longer.

Resident and business responsibility

It is important for residents and business to understand their responsibilities and possible fines associated with sidewalks. Businesses and Residents are responsible for clearing the sidewalks in front of their business/house within 24 hours after a snow fall or ice forming. Fines for not clearing the snow or ice within 24 hours can be found in our User Fees By-law. These fines will be applied automatically to your property taxes.

Parking Permits and Fines During Winter

Occasional use parking permits can be obtained during winter months, restrictions apply.

Permits are not valid during active snow events, which could include the day(s) before, during, or after an inclement weather event, when plowing or salting are taking place.

Apply for a Parking Permit

Town of Ajax Plow Map

Take a look at the interactive snow plow map to see what our snow plows have been up to!

Explore the Town of Ajax Plow Map

Town of Ajax