Toronto snow route parking tickets total more than $2 million: police

A Toronto Police Service parking enforcement officer patch is seen in Toronto, on Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sammy Kogan

More than $2 million worth of parking tickets have been issued to drivers who parked on snow routes in Toronto following January’s record snowstorm, CTV News has learned.

Toronto police said parking enforcement officers handed out 21,508 fines after the city declared what are known as a Major Snowstorm Condition and Significant Weather Event last month, which prohibits parking on streets marked as “snow routes” to allow for snow plowing and snow removal.

The city imposed these measures on Jan. 25 after some parts of Toronto saw nearly 60 centimetres of snowfall.

The declarations ended on Tuesday at 5 p.m.

• READ MORE: Milder weather finally arrives in Toronto after longest cold snap in more than a decade

Drivers caught parking on snow routes as well as in areas marked with temporary orange “No Parking – Snow Removal” signs in advance of snow removal operations during that time frame were subject to fines of up to $500 and towing.

In addition to the tickets for parking on a snow route, police say parking enforcement officers also issued 152 tickets to drivers for infractions related to snow removal efforts, including dozens of $500 tickets for blocking or impeding the passage of a streetcar on a snow route.

The data shared with CTV News Toronto shows that officers have handed out a whopping $2,193,600 in tickets since the Major Snowstorm Condition and Significant Weather Event were declared.

The total is likely an underestimate as the data only includes tickets issued between Jan. 15 (when the previously-issued declaration were in effect) and Jan. 30.

“The Toronto Police Parking Enforcement Unit has worked collaboratively with City of Toronto partners, including Transportation Services, to support snow removal operations,” a spokesperson for Toronto police told CTV News in an email.

The city, in a news release, said these declarations, which were put in place to expedite plowing and snow removal after approximately 90 cm of snow fell in the city following in two January snowstorms, opened up access for emergency and transit vehicles and improved accessibility of residential streets, sidewalks, bike lanes and school bus loading zones.

“From January 16 to this morning, crews have hauled almost 300,000 tonnes of snow to designated snow storage sites as part of ongoing snow removal operations. Of this, nearly 240,000 tonnes were hauled away since these declarations came into effect,” it said.

Under the city’s current winter contracts, which were signed under former mayor John Tory and will expire in 2029, there is no formal provision for snow removal. As such, the city treats snow removal operations as an “exceptional activity,” rather than an integrated part of storm response and uses its existing resources (both contracted and in-house) to get rid of accumulation on the ground.

Snow removal efforts continue in city

In its latest update on winter operations on Monday, the city said crews remain “fully deployed” for snow removal, adding that all school bus loading zones are now clear and streetcar routes are approximately 95 per cent clear.

Targeted snow removal will continue across Toronto, the City of Toronto said in a separate release, “with a focus on narrow streets, sidewalks and bike lanes.”

Drivers are still being reminded not to park where temporary orange “No Parking - Snow Removal” signs are posted in snowbanks as snow removal will take place on these streets within 24 to 48 hours.

Vehicles left parked in these locations could be ticketed $100 or towed at the owner’s expense “as they can interfere with snow removal operations,” the city said.

To help crews remove snow more quickly and effectively, motorists are being urged to use off-street parking whenever possible.

Residents can continue to report areas in need of extra attention to 311.

Chow called province to help to clear snow

Earlier this month, Mayor Olivia Chow revealed that she called the province for help clearing the snow on the Gardiner and DVP to help free up its own workers to prioritize residential streets and intersections with reduced visibility.

It’s unclear how much the ad-hoc contract will cost the city, but the mayor’s office said the maximum spend is up to $950,000.

CTV News Toronto reached out to the Toronto Parking Authority for an estimate on how much revenue it’s lost due to the declarations.

“The Toronto Parking Authority is actively tracking the revenue lost due to snow routes however it is too soon to provide accurate figures at this time,” a spokesperson wrote in an email.