Hamilton's $450 snow-clearing subsidy opens November 1, and who has to shovel which sidewalk

The subsidy

The City of Hamilton's Snow Clearing Subsidy helps seniors and residents with disabilities pay to meet the City's sidewalk snow clearing by-law. The City says the money can pay a company, a neighbour or a friend to clear the sidewalk, the front walkway and the pile the snow plow leaves at the end of the driveway. It says the subsidy is not for clearing a whole driveway.

Applications are accepted each snow season from November 1 to March 31, or until program capacity is reached. The City's page does not say how many places there are, so earlier applications are the safer choice.

• Eligible residents receive two installments of $225, for $450 in total.
• The first $225 is sent when the City approves the application.
• The second installment, of up to $225, requires a completed City of Hamilton Snow Removal Expense log showing the first installment was spent on snow removal.

Who qualifies

The City says applicants must meet all of these conditions:

• Live in Hamilton.
• Own the home and live in it during the winter season.
• Be unable to clear the snow and have no other adult living in the home who is physically able to.
• Be 65 or older, or have a physical disability.
• Have total household income below Statistics Canada's current Low-Income Measurement for the household size.

The City's table continues to $99,033 for a household of ten. Applicants need a current Notice of Assessment for each adult in the household and proof of age, or proof of disability if under 65, such as a Canada Pension Plan disability statement, a Disability Tax Credit approval or Ontario Disability Support Program status.

There is an online form on the subsidy page. A paper application can be dropped off or mailed to the Special Supports Program, 1550 Upper James Street, Unit 14A, Hamilton, ON L9B 2L6, or faxed to 905-546-2476. For help or a mailed form, call the Special Supports Program at 905-546-2590, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The City also lists community programs that run their own snow help, including Snow Angels Canada, Stoney Creek Seniors Outreach (905-643-1919) and Flamborough Connects (905-689-7880); the City says it does not run them.

Who clears the sidewalk

Under By-law No. 03-296, which the City calls its Snow and Ice By-law, property owners and occupants must clear snow and ice from the sidewalk next to their property, including adjacent street corners and any roof that overhangs the sidewalk, within 24 hours after the end of a snow event. The City says the same duty applies to businesses.

The exception is a property on a route the City clears itself. In that case, the City says, residents are not required to shovel that stretch because City plows will clear it, and the sidewalks it is responsible for will be addressed 24 hours after the end of a snow event. The City says it clears sidewalks next to:

• municipally owned property,
• private lots that do not face the road (reverse frontage lots),
• sidewalks in Ancaster, and
• school properties owned by the public school boards, on a charge-back basis.

The City expanded the program in 2022, focusing on Priority 1 and Priority 2A roads where transit runs and on transit stops, which took the total from 397 to 866 kilometres. With new infrastructure added since, the City says it now clears 885 kilometres of sidewalks a year. Crews are activated when accumulation reaches 5 centimetres. The City publishes a Winter Sidewalk Snow Clearing Map showing which areas are covered and a Sidewalk Plow Tracker that shows where its maintenance vehicles have been in the last six hours.

Roads, parking and claims

• Roads are plowed in priority order: main routes and escarpment crossings first, collector roads second and neighbourhood streets third.
• Certain roads are snow emergency routes. When the City declares a snow emergency, it is illegal to park on them, and vehicles may be ticketed or towed at the owner's expense. Routes may be signed No Stopping Anytime, No Parking Anytime or No Parking Snow Route, and emergencies are announced on local radio stations.
• The City may also declare a significant weather event. It says that is not a road closure or a cut in service; it suspends the standard timelines for winter maintenance until the City declares the event over.
• To report damage from a snow plow or sidewalk tractor to private property, call 905-546-2424 ext. 5742. The City does not replace or repair landscaping in the road allowance. A written injury claim must reach the Office of the City Clerk, 71 Main Street West, within 7 calendar days of the incident.