Clean-up operation begins in Toronto after major winter snowfall

The City of Toronto has ordered residents living on snow routes to move cars by Monday as crews begin clearing up after a significant snowstorm.

The order comes after the storm, complete flashes of lightning, blanketed the city in a thick layer of snow.

Toronto staff estimate that between 20 and 30 centimentres of snow fell around Toronto overnight. Some areas, including North York, Etobicoke and Scarborough, were hit with heavier snow, officials said.

To assist with the cleanup, a major snowstorm condition has been declared. While it is in place, starting Monday, parking on roads designated as snow routes is prohibited for 72 hours.

1:41 Toronto continues storm cleanup, plans to institute more snow routes

The city said the rule is in place to allow crews to remove windrows left by initial snow clearing.

“This declaration may be cancelled sooner than 72 hours or it may be extended, depending on how much snow needs to be removed,” the City of Toronto said in a statement on Saturday.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“At this time, the City anticipates it will likely be extended.”

The city said it was focusing its initial clearing efforts on emergency vehicles and transportation routes.

Sidewalks will also be cleared, though Toronto transportation services division general manager Barbara Gray said those operations were proving “challenging” and could take longer than usual. She said that the smaller, lighter equipment used to clear sidewalks was initially struggling with the volume of snow that has fallen.

Recreation and community centres are closed on Saturday as the city battles to clear the heavy snowfall, with all permits and programs cancelled. Ice rinks will be open once they have been cleared.

All 10 of Toronto’s history museums are closed, as are Toronto Public Library’s branches.

Snow routes are major arterial roads and major TTC routes. They are sign posted and crews will add additional signals, Gray said on Saturday.

Line 3 in Scarborough was also closed as of Saturday afternoon “due to weather conditions.” Shuttle buses are running instead, the City of Toronto said.

Parking on a designated snow route during a major snow event is punishable with a fine of up to $200.

Toronto Hydro was reporting a series of outages across the city on late Saturday morning.

One area, including the Bathurst Street and Lawrence Avenue West intersection, reported an outage affecting more than 5,000 people. Other outages included up to 1,000 customers around Old Mill Subway Station and up to 1,000 in Port Union.