1,000 driveways eligible for snow clearing in Burlington…at a cost

This upcoming winter will be the second where 1,000 Burlington homeowners will be eligible to have the snow cleared from the end of their driveway.

But, there is a price to pay to get your pathway to the street unblocked when the snow falls.

The City of Burlington has announced that registration for the windrow removal is now open for those unable to clear their driveways themselves.

The early registration for the program begins today and lasts until Oct. 15.

After that, depending on how many slots are still available, registration for windrow removal for everyone else begins Oct. 16 and lasts until Nov. 9.

Although the program is offered by the city, you still have to pay for the service if you qualify. The cost is $125 plus HST per driveway for the entire season which lasts from Dec. 1 to March 31.

For an explanation of how to register for the service, follow this link.

In 2023 Burlington increased the number of participants in the program from 200 to 1,000 in time for the 2023-24 winter.

A windrow is a pile of snow left at the bottom of driveways by snow plows. Even though the plows clear the roads, the windrows can become a burden to homeowners trying to get in and out of driveways. Often, if left overnight, the windrows harden and are difficult to remove.

If you are successful in getting into the program, crews will clear windrows within 36 hours of snowfall stopping and within 12 hours of residential road plowing. Residential road plowing only occurs after accumulations of 7.5 cm or more of snow.

Other nearby municipalities such as Toronto, Richmond Hill and Vaughan currently offer municipal-wide windrow clearing and Mississauga is expected to do the same in 2025-26.