Province-wide road salt shortage impacting winter maintenance operations

Kawartha Lakes – Winter roadway and sidewalk maintenance across Kawartha Lakes is being affected by a province-wide road salt shortage. 

Road salt supply has been strained this winter due to a combination of above average winter weather activity and increased demand across the province, as well as supply and transportation pressures. Mineral salt used for de-icing is sourced primarily from operations in Goderich and Windsor, and communities across the province are managing limited allocations. This situation is not unique to Kawartha Lakes and is affecting winter control operations across Ontario. 

Winter conditions and material usage 

This winter season started earlier and has had more extreme weather than a typical year. Since early November, Kawartha Lakes has experienced winter weather events almost every day, resulting in significantly larger demand on winter maintenance operations. 

As a result, the municipality has already used about one full season’s worth of road salt, contributing to the current strain on available supply.  

Due to limited availability, the municipality is using salt/sand blends on some roads that would normally be treated with straight salt. While this approach continues to meet the municipality’s levels of service and legislative requirements, it may result in different roadway conditions than residents are accustomed to. While sand does provide traction, it does not result in the same surface condition if salt were used. As such, road users are urged to drive according to prevailing road conditions.  

Managing winter maintenance with limited supplies 

Winter maintenance in Kawartha Lakes is guided by the Winter Control Roadway Level of Service Policy and Sidewalk Level of Service Policy – Winter Maintenance, which set out standards for snow and ice control on roads and sidewalks based on road classification and usage. 

During the current salt shortage, staff are carefully managing existing materials and implementing strategies to maximize safety while conserving resources. This includes: 

• Using salt and salt/sand blends strategically where they are most effective; 

• Prioritizing treatment on arterial and priority roadways; 

• Applying materials in accordance with service levels set out in municipal policies and provincial maintenance standards. 

Municipal staff continue to work with suppliers to get salt from alternate sources and resume normal winter maintenance operations as soon as possible. 

How you can help 

Residents can help support winter operations by: 

• Clearing snow and ice from private sidewalks and driveways; 

• Not shovelling snow onto municipal roadways or into ditches and catch basins; 

• Keeping garbage or recycling bins off road shoulders or snowbanks; 

• Not parking vehicles on the street during winter maintenance operations (reminder: there are overnight on-street parking restrictions from November 1 to April 30); 

• Being patient as crews work to maintain over 5,400 lane-kilometres of roadway across the municipality. Did you know? That is equal to driving to Florida and half way back for every winter event!

“Our crews are working diligently in challenging winter conditions to maintain safe travel routes for residents and emergency services,” said Oliver Vigelius, Director of Public Works. “This winter has been more demanding than usual and has required more materials and labour than we normally expect. While there’s a province-wide salt shortage, we’re carefully managing our supply and continuing to provide winter road services based on our service levels.” 

The municipality will continue to monitor salt inventories, forecasted weather conditions, and operational needs. Residents are encouraged to follow official channels, including Municipal511 and the Kawartha Lakes website, for the latest service information.