Toronto deploys 600 road plows for cleanup after major snow storm

Toronto took a beating during Monday’s snowstorm, and it could take all week to clear out all the snow and get the city back to normal.

Officials provided a joint snow storm update on Tuesday, and with the amount of snow that fell, it’s not just a matter of clearing the roads. To clear space, snow will have to be removed from the streets and moved to designated facilities.

“Today we are continuing with our plowing operations, and that will likely continue tomorrow. As a result of the declaration of major snow event, we will also be executing snow removal and cleanup and that will likely take us throughout to the end of the week. So we’re still in the early stages,” a member of City of Toronto staff said at a press conference on Tuesday.

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While it might take all week to get streets cleared, the City is throwing everything it has at the problem, which is 600 road plows, 200 salt trucks, and 360 sidewalk plows.

“You have to do the plowing first, and then begin the snow removal, and it is something that is going to take time,” said Toronto Mayor John Tory. “This storm ranks among the biggest in history in the city.”

The city works in order of priority. Expressways are plowed first, then main and arterial roads, then collector roads, and finally, local roads and sidewalks.

“There is a priority order in which this simply has to be done,” emphasized Tory.

He emphasized that he knows Torontonians understand that there is a priority in which roads must be cleared.

“I would thank people for the patience they’ve shown so far and ask for their continued patience as we have all hands on deck,” he added.

Check out when your street will be plowed here.