When three massive storms in February covered Toronto in 50 centimetres of snow, the city’s initial snow-clearing efforts left it piled up with nowhere to go.

Signed in 2021 under former mayor John Tory, Toronto’s snow-clearing contracts contain no provisions for snow removal, which means that once streets are plowed, contracted companies have no obligation to remove the snow.

On Tuesday, the city announced new measures aimed at improving its snow response and readiness, but city staff say that a snow removal operation — which sees heavy machinery remove snow from crowded streets and move it to dumping sites — is out of the budget.

That means Toronto could face similar issues the next time there's a major storm, but Paul Johnson, Toronto's city manager, says plans are in place for a smo

See Full Page