Mississauga makes driveway windrow clearing a standard winter service
Mississauga has added windrow blades to its residential snow-clearing fleet, creating 3-metre driveway openings after major snowfalls. The city says the program has been well received.
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By Torontoer Staff
Mississauga has added driveway windrow clearing to its standard residential snow removal service for the 2025–26 winter season, a change intended to keep driveways passable after heavy snowfall. Officials say crews now use dedicated windrow blades to clear a minimum three-metre opening at driveway mouths once streets have been fully ploughed.
City staff equipped 230 loaders with windrow blades and say the program has generated positive feedback from residents. The service is already drawing attention as neighbouring municipalities continue to debate windrow clearing and related costs.
How the windrow program works
Mississauga treats residential snow clearing as a two-step process. Crews first plough residential streets to move snow off the roadway. Once final ploughing is complete, the same loaders return fitted with windrow blades to clear a portion of the compacted snow left at driveway entrances.
The city says crews create openings wide enough for one vehicle to pass, generally leaving a three-metre gap. Those openings are not cleared to bare pavement and are not treated with salt. Snow piled along the curb remains in place.
Service timelines and eligibility
Timelines vary by snowfall amount. Mississauga’s published service levels are:
- Less than 5 cm: no windrow service
- 5 to 15 cm: driveway opening cleared within four hours after streets are ploughed
- 15 to 30 cm: cleared within six hours
- More than 30 cm or back-to-back storms: cleared more than six hours after final ploughing
Officials say the fleet of 230 windrow-equipped loaders lets crews meet those service levels across eligible residential streets. There are no current plans to expand the fleet.
What this means for homeowners
For many homeowners a cleared windrow means being able to leave and return to their property without tackling a heavy, compacted ridge of snow. The openings are deliberately modest: they aim to deliver access rather than perfect, pothole-free pavement.
- The openings are generally wide enough for one vehicle, not two.
- Cleared areas are not salted, so they may refreeze overnight.
- Snow at the curb and along the driveway sides will usually remain.
Mississauga advises residents to leave space for crews to operate and to secure any bins or objects near the driveway that could be struck during clearing. The city also recommends marking shared driveway boundaries to help operators avoid disputes.
Brand new windrow arms are being expertly operated by Mississauga staff in an unusually snowy winter. Thank you to 905HUB for their terrific recording that shows a very neat operation that left all bins standing.
Mayor Carolyn Parrish, social media post
Our windrow-clearing machines are very effective at removing the windrows, and the program has been well received by residents.
City of Mississauga spokesperson
How Mississauga’s approach compares in the GTA
Toronto offers a comparable windrow-clearing service, also targeting three-metre openings and aiming to clear driveways within two hours of final road ploughing. Other municipalities have taken different approaches. Brampton recently rejected a proposal to add a similar service after a resident petition and a city poll. Officials there said the service would have increased property taxes by about $92 per household.
That contrast highlights the trade-offs municipalities face: wider, faster clearing requires equipment and operating costs that can affect taxes and service priorities.
Practical tips for winter driveway access
- Check your municipality’s snow removal pages for service thresholds and timelines.
- If you have a shared driveway, confirm how openings will be allocated and marked.
- Keep bins and lawn furniture clear of the driveway edge before snow events.
- If your driveway is blocked after final ploughing, document the condition and contact your city’s snow-line for a service request.
- Expect cleared openings to refreeze overnight; use grit or salt where allowed and safe.
Windrow clearing reduces the immediate burden on homeowners, but it does not replace some personal snow maintenance. Understanding timelines and service limits will help set realistic expectations after a storm.
Mississauga’s rollout shows one way cities are responding to heavy winters, balancing equipment investment and service design to keep neighbourhoods moving.
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