The City of Windsor is responding to requests for service and rolling out additional supports after damaging storms ripped through the region. Tree damage Forestry crews have been working through service requests for downed trees impacting the municipal right-of-way, with over 400 requests received over the last two days following two significant storms. The Forestry Department, along with multiple contracted crews, is prioritizing emergency situations, hazardous tree conditions, downed trees, power-line concerns and the hardest-hit areas. As of Friday afternoon, Buckingham Drive was still closed from Wyandotte Street East to Riverside Drive East to address tree damage from the storm. Detour signs have been posted. The city is working closely with ENWIN Utilities to address trees impacting electricity, as some large and established trees have been damaged and require significant equipment to address. Residents are reminded to report downed wires by calling 519-255-2727. ENWIN Utilities also provides an outage map that is updated as new information becomes available. Service request process The city encourages residents to continue to log a “Tree Damage Due to Storm” service request on the Windsor 311 app or online portal if on municipal property. Duplicate calls and reports slow down the response process. Once a request has been submitted on the app or online, residents can be assured it is in the system and will be addressed based on priority and available resources. Also, the city will continue to address the large tree limb cleanup as part of the ongoing tree maintenance program for those who have requests submitted. Tree waste collection Pick-ups of storm-related tree waste will be performed on the same day of the week as regular yard waste pick-up (refer to waste collection schedule), similar to past leaf and yard waste collection schedule pickup dates. The city, in partnership with Miller Waste, will be providing an additional tree waste collection for Windsor residents over the coming weeks, based on resident “Tree Damage Due to Storm” service requests submitted through the Windsor 311 app or online portal. For this additional pick-up schedule, Windsor residents are asked to: Any other storm-related tree waste not meeting the above requirements can be dropped off at the City’s Public Drop Off Depot (3560 North Service Road East) at no charge. City crews worked throughout the night to address traffic signals impacted by power loss, cleared catch basins of leaves and branches and optimized water pumping rates. City officials say 311 is currently experiencing higher than normal call volumes, which may impact wait times. Residents are encouraged to use the Windsor 311 mobile app or online portal, whenever possible, to avoid wait times and log service requests more quickly and easily, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
