Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says she’s “frustrated” with the city’s response to this month's snowstorms as piles of snow continue to block roads and sidewalks, calling on the city manager and auditor general to investigate winter maintenance operations.
At an outdoor press conference Tuesday, Chow said she’d been told that as of that morning, "100 per cent of sidewalks had been plowed."
Gesturing to the snow banks on the sidewalk behind her, Chow called that "blatantly untrue."
"We need to do more, we need to do better," Chow said. "All Torontonians deserve to move around the city safely."
Chow said she has asked city manager Paul Johnson to conduct a full review of winter maintenance contracts and consider renegotiating or breaking contracts with snow clearing companies. She's also asked for an investigation of the reports that said sidewalks had been cleared.
"How anyone could claim that is beyond me," said Chow. "I was asking people for patience, but I'm done. This is just not acceptable."
The mayor said she has asked Toronto's auditor general to investigate how the city handled this month's winter storms and determine whether previous winter maintenance recommendations were implemented.
Chow said while she's responsible as mayor for the city's snowstorm response, its winter maintenance contracts with private companies were signed before her time, and were locked in for seven years.
“I came in, inherited this contract... if you want to ask the councillors who voted for this contract, be my guest. It wasn’t me.”
Coun. Paul Ainslie said when the current snow removal contract was first being considered in 2021, he raised concerns about having adequate equipment and employees for the job, before he voted against it.
"I'm still getting complaints from my residents that the streets, if they were plowed once, they weren't done properly," said Ainslie. "Things have to change ... people expect value for their money, they want their tax dollars to work."
Chow said "there will be consequences" for contractors who did not fulfil their winter maintenance duties, but she hasn't specified what those might be.
The city has been readying for flood risk as piles of snow begin to melt in warmer temperatures this week. Toronto officials said Monday that crews are ready to be deployed to inspect and clear catch basins in flood-prone areas.
Chow said the priority is to get the roads and sidewalks cleared, especially as Ontarians head to the polls Thursday to vote in the provincial election.
"I met with the city manager this morning. I said I don't care what it takes, just make sure that every polling station, especially if it's in city facilities, are clear and the roads around it are clear," Chow said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 25, 2025.
Rianna Lim, The Canadian Press
