Another sign of spring: Street sweepers on the roads in Ottawa

Street sweepers move down a street in downtown Ottawa. April 6, 2026. (Brad Quinn/CTV News Ottawa)

The post-winter cleanup of Ottawa’s streets and sidewalks is underway with street sweepers fanning out across the city.

The City of Ottawa said it was starting street sweeping operations this weekend in select areas.

“This winter season started early and seemed like it was never going to end, but we made it and now it’s time to get out there and enjoy springtime activities. An important part of our spring maintenance is spring cleanup and street sweeping operations. This work ensures areas such as sidewalks, roads and the cycling network are clear of debris,” the city said in a news release.

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Concentrated street sweeping operations in the urban core began Monday and are expected to continue until April 15, weather permitting.

Parking restrictions are in place in these areas. Signage will be posted on streets where these operations are taking place to inform residents.

City-wide sweeping operations will be ongoing until May 31, at the latest. Sweepers operate in both daytime and nighttime shifts but may need to be paused overnight when below-zero temperatures are in the forecast to avoid ice buildup.

The city says street sweeping is done in phases:

• Sidewalks, bus stop pads and medians are cleaned first by a variety of methods, using sidewalk sweepers, leaf blowers, flusher trucks and hand brooms.
• A sidewalk sweeper will work in the area first, pushing grit, debris and dust onto the roadway. A vacuum sweeper or mechanical sweeper truck then picks up the majority of grit, debris, small particles and dust removing it from the road.
• This operation might be repeated several times to ensure a clean surface. If vehicles are parked on the street, the unswept area is noted, and crews will return to sweep that portion at a later date.

The city says there are no no parking restrictions in place during city-wide street sweeping operations outside of urban areas with concentrated sweeping, but vehicle owners are encouraged to remove their vehicles from the roadway whenever possible to help street sweeping teams do their work.

Residents are asked to not rake or blow leaves, lawn clippings or other debris onto the roadways, as it can make street cleaning operations more challenging, especially if the area has already been swept.

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