Spike in complaints to city over snow-covered sidewalks in Windsor

City complaints about a lack of shovelled side walks.

There has been an increase in the number of complaints to the City of Windsor over people not cleaning snow off the sidewalks in front of their home or business.

Manager of Licensing and Enforcement Craig Robertson says since the beginning of 2026, the city’s bylaw enforcement department has received 1,300 complaints about a lack of sidewalk snow removal, including 800 over the past three weeks alone, compared to around 600 to 800 complaints normally received by this time of year.

By-law enforcement officers have been conducting blitzes to educate people about their responsibility when it comes to clearing snow off the sidewalks near their property.

Robertson says some of the complaints are likely due to the multiple snowfalls, high winds causing blowing snow, and the freezing temperatures that have prevented the snow from melting.

“Essentially a bylaw enforcement officer will go out and conduct an assessment and see if first there’s been any effort that’s been made on the sidewalk,” he says. “Typically, we like to educate first, but we do look at history to see if this is a previous complaint or if we’ve issued a notice already to the property owner.”

In cases where education and notices have failed, a contractor is brought in to remove the snow, and the cost is added to the owner’s property tax bill, typically several hundred dollars.

Homeowners must clear the snow off the sidewalks within 12 hours of a snowfall ending. If you are a business owner, commercial sidewalks must be shoveled within four hours of the snowfall or within four hours after sunrise if the snow fell overnight.

Robertson says they want to see that an effort is being made to let people get safely by.

Sidewalks need to be cleared to allow the safe passage of all pedestrians, including those who may require the use of a wheelchair or stroller.

Robertson says they ask that people be a good neighbourhood when it comes to clearing the snow off the sidewalk.

“If you have an issue or you’re struggling to shovel your sidewalk, I recommend you call 311 and have them look into any type of service or alternatives that might be available to you,” he says.

The city does have a Snow Angels volunteer snow removal program to assist those, such as seniors or people with disabilities, with help to remove any snow around their property.