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Toronto residents may get paid to grab a shovel and clear snow following major storms as soon as next winter.

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That is the idea being pitched by Mayor Olivia Chow and modelled after New York City’s emergency snow shovellers program.

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Zohran Mamdani, that city’s mayor, offered New Yorkers $19.14 US per hour (about $26 Cdn) to shovel snow from public areas, such as bus stops, crosswalks and fire hydrants. That amount rises to $30 US (about $41) after 40 hours on the job.

Create snow removal program

Chow wrote a letter to Toronto’s executive committee on Tuesday to look into the possibility of creating a similar program for the city.

“Cities do best when we learn from each other and adopt best practices from other cities,” Chow wrote, reported Toronto Today. “We now have the opportunity to engage our counterparts in New York City … and implement lessons learned right here in Toronto.”

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Chow said issues with legal liability have hampered her push to pay residents for snow removal after repeatedly pitching the idea, but the mayor wants city staff to come up with a plan “as soon as possible” and for it to be in place by next winter.

Toronto hit by blizzard

In late January, the city was hit by a major blizzard that dumped record amounts of snow. However, removal efforts by city staff took much longer than the public had patience for.

Days later, city manager Paul Johnson said Toronto didn’t do a great job clearing snow from narrow residential streets and sidewalks after receiving about 3,000 to 4,000 calls to 311 for service requests per day.

While the executive committee will consider the mayor’s request, Councillor Brad Bradford called New York’s paid shovelling idea a “wakeup call for Toronto.

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“It shows a city that is being honest about the scale of the challenge and is willing to try something different to get the job done,” Bradford said in an email statement to Now Toronto.

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2025 storm paralyzed city

A major snowstorm in February 2025 left Toronto paralyzed. At the time, Chow said the pace of snow removal was “unacceptable” after some streets and sidewalks were not cleared for days.

Last November, the mayor issued a letter to the executive committee that sought a revamp to the snow-clearing program.

“Toronto needs to get better at clearing snow,” Chow wrote. “Good snow removal keeps our city running and makes sure streets and sidewalks are safe for everyone.”

She wanted the 2021 contract approved by council under then-mayor John Tory addressed, which covered plowing and not snow removal. The current contract ends in 2029.

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“We need removal included in the 2029 contract, but we can’t wait that long,” Chow wrote. “The city will use our own equipment and workers to remove snow after smaller storms so we’re ready when big snowfalls hit.”

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Sidewalk snow removal

Currently, residents are required to remove snow from sidewalks in front of or adjacent to their homes when less than 2 cm falls. Above that amount, city crews are responsible for clearing public sidewalks.

Property owners are also required to clear ice and snow from private property to ensure safe access for people and vehicles.

In addition, the city said fire hydrants must be cleared of snow so that firefighters can access them in an emergency.

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