Barrie’s winter maintenance explained: What the city clears and what it doesn’t

Snow plows in Barrie, Ont. (CTV News/Ian Duffy)

Barrie’s winter maintenance crews have been working continuously throughout the season to manage the intense snowfall.

The city says it is responsible for winter maintenance across a large public network. This includes more than 1,600 kilometres of roads, over 600 kilometres of sidewalks, 25 parking lots, 72 crosswalks, 113 bus shelters, 708 bus stops, and downtown sidewalk intersections.

What’s maintained?

City parks staff do maintain certain portions of the waterfront during the winter. This includes one main walking trail from Heritage Park to Minet’s Point Road and the bike path from Kempenfelt Drive to Hurst Drive.

Waterfront parking lots are also maintained so residents can continue to access these areas.

Officials say sidewalk clearing responsibilities vary by area. Dunlop, Collier, Mulcaster, High Street, and connecting streets and sidewalks are cleared by the adjoining property owners in accordance with the Snow Clearing (Downtown) By-law.

All remaining sidewalks are cleared by City of Barrie crews.

What’s not maintained?

Some areas are not maintained by the city during winter operations, like pedestrian walkways.

Snow removal around community mailboxes is handled by Canada Post, while snow and ice clearing at GO stations is managed by GO Transit staff.

Is there snow piled at the end of your driveway? The city says it does not remove driveway snow windrows left by plows as residents are responsible for clearing these areas themselves.

Maintenance on highways and off-ramps, including the 400-series highways north of County Road 89 and the two-lane highways around Barrie, such as Highways 90, 26, and 27, is overseen by the Ministry of Transportation.

Barrie staff says they do not maintain parks, trails, or hills during the winter months, so if you use the trails, be mindful.

As of Jan. 9, Barrie crews have recorded the removal of roughly 3,500 truckloads of snow through ongoing snow lift operations, which is equivalent to about 24 Olympic-size swimming pools.