Toronto moves toward paid sidewalk‑shovelling program
Toronto is moving ahead with plans to create a paid “surge capacity” sidewalk‑shovelling program, directing senior staff to design a system that would pay residents or temporary workers to clear snow after major storms.
The proposal, modelled on programs in New York City, Minneapolis and Montreal, is now slated for implementation no later than the 2026–27 winter season.
The decision follows a pair of council votes Thursday morning, where the amended motion passed 21–5 before the full item was adopted 17–9.
The directive instructs the Deputy City Manager of Infrastructure Services, working with Transportation Services, the Chief People Officer, and the City Solicitor, to develop a program to rapidly deploy paid shovellers during major snowfalls. The goal is to supplement existing city crews and contractors when storms overwhelm regular operations.
“Cities do best when we learn from each other and adopt best practices from other cities,” Mayor Olivia Chow wrote in a letter to the executive committee earlier this month.
“We now have the opportunity to engage our counterparts in New York City on their recent success with a paid relief snow shovelling program, and implement lessons learned right here in Toronto.”
The model is expected to draw on best practices from cities that already use paid community‑based or temporary labour to clear sidewalks quickly during heavy snow events.
The program would not replace Toronto’s current sidewalk‑clearing system but would serve as an emergency layer of support during major storms — a key point raised by councillors, who argued that the city needs more flexibility as winters become increasingly unpredictable.
The amendment directing staff to design the program passed with strong support on Thursday, with councillors Mike Colle, Vincent Crisanti, Stephen Holyday, Frances Nunziata and James Pasternak as the five to vote against.
The program must be ready for implementation no later than the 2026–27 winter season, though city councillors signalled interest in launching earlier if feasible.