With the snowy season upon us, the City of Kitchener has issued a reminder for residents about snow removal policies and procedures.
It notes that property owners are responsible for dealing with the snow on their property, including their sidewalks, within 24 hours, while the city is responsible for roads, walkways, trails and parks, as well as the sidewalks around their facilities.
Kitchener says that it prioritizes clearing regional and city arterial roads, followed by streets that are hilly, have sharp curves or are a Grand River Transit bus route. Finally, they do residential streets last, with an aim to clear every street within 24 hours.
If a snowstorm comes on your garbage day, the city asks that residents place garbage bins in their driveway rather than on the street in an effort to make plowing easier.
The city is also reminding residents of the rules concerning snow events, which are declared on days when there is eight or more centimetres forecasted or accumulated.
When snow events occur, parking on city streets is banned, and if ignored, vehicles can be tagged or towed if need be.
The city posts when a snow event is underway on its social media channels.
In addition, if property owners do not clear their sidewalks within 24 hours after a snowfall, they could get a warning. If the snow remains uncleared 24 hours after the warning, the city may call contractors to clear away the snow, with the homeowner having to foot the bill.
Kitchener also notes that there is no overnight parking from Dec. 1 through March 31 from 2:30 a.m. to 6 a.m., whether there is a snow event or not.
Residents can apply for as many as five exemptions to this parking rule, as long as it is not during a snow event.
Finally, the city is also asking residents not to skate on stormwater ponds, as the ice is unstable and dangerous. Residents can find their closest outdoor skating rink at kitchener.ca/outdoorrinks.