Commercial snow removal in Pickering covers more ground than most owners expect. The City of Pickering makes property owners responsible for clearing snow and ice from their walkways, driveways, ramps, loading docks, parking areas, outdoor stairs and landings, as well as the public sidewalk beside the property. Michael Durham Landscaping takes on that work for commercial, industrial and multi-unit properties in Pickering on fixed-price seasonal contracts, with salting after every visit and a time-stamped record of each one.
What Every Pickering Contract Covers
Our commercial and industrial snow removal contracts are built on four points:
- Dispatch based on the weather. Conditions are tracked in real time, and surfaces are pre-treated before major events.
- Salt or calcium chloride after every plow visit, so cleared areas stay safer as temperatures fall.
- A service log for every visit, with the time, photos, conditions and salt application rates.
- A fixed price for the season, agreed before winter. The season runs November 1 to April 15.
Every property gets a site review before we quote, because the number of entrances, the size of the lot and the space available to store snow all change the job.
What Pickering's By-laws Make the Owner's Job
Loading docks, ramps and stairs, not just the lot
Pickering's Property Standards By-law 5943/02 and Ice and Snow Clearing By-law 6650/06 put the full list on the owner: walkways, driveways, ramps, loading docks, parking areas, and outdoor stairs and landings. On an industrial or retail site, the loading dock and the ramp to a side entrance are easy to leave out of a contract. Name each one in the scope so nothing is assumed.
The public sidewalk within 24 hours
Under By-law 6650/06, every owner of a building or vacant land, occupied or not, must clear snow and ice from the sidewalks next to it within 24 hours after it builds up. If that does not happen, the City can clear the sidewalk at the owner's expense, with an administration fee added. The same by-law says snow cannot be cleared in a way that damages the sidewalk or curb, and cannot be piled where it blocks the view of, or access to, a fire hydrant.
The City does salt and plow sidewalks in some places, including along regional roads, in front of City property and schools, on sidewalks set right against the curb, and within the designated downtown core. If your frontage is in one of those areas, confirm with the City which sidewalks it maintains before you remove them from your scope.
Snow from the lot stays on the lot
The City asks owners not to push snow from a driveway or parking lot onto a City street or sidewalk, and the by-law prohibits putting snow, ice or slush on a City street. Snow from your lot has to be stored on the property, which makes storage space part of the plan from the first visit.
How Pickering Clears the Roads Around You
Pickering is divided into 13 urban and 2 rural plow routes. Priority routes come first: the collector roads people use to reach business areas and hospitals and to get in and out of the city, plus bus routes. Local residential streets follow once those are done. The City says plowing typically begins once about 5 cm of snow has built up.
Two points matter for businesses. First, some newly built roads, including parts of the Seaton community, may be maintained by the developer or builder instead of the City; the City's Interactive Winter Operations Map shows who maintains each road. Second, in a major storm the City does not plow the full road width at first. Crews return a day or two later for clean-up, which can leave a fresh ridge of snow across your entrance after it has been cleared. Ask how your contract handles a return visit after the City's clean-up pass.
Winter Parking in Pickering
From December 1 to March 31, parking on any Pickering street is prohibited between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. under the City's Traffic and Parking By-law, and vehicles left on the road during snow clearing can be ticketed or towed. Staff, tenants or visitors who park on the street overnight need space on your lot during those months, which affects when and how the lot can be plowed. Agree on a plowing window that works around overnight parking before the season starts.
Ontario's 60-Day Notice Rule and Your Records
Section 6.1 of Ontario's Occupiers' Liability Act requires written notice of a snow or ice injury claim, giving the date, time and location, within 60 days of the injury, served personally or by registered mail. If the property owner receives that notice, the Act requires a copy to go to any snow removal contractor it employed at the time. If the contractor receives it, a copy goes to the owner.
Time-stamped logs with photos, conditions and salt rates give both sides a record of what was done and when. This is general information, not legal advice. Speak with your lawyer or insurer about your own obligations.
Rules change, so confirm current requirements with the City of Pickering before the season.
Common Questions
Does commercial snow removal in Pickering include loading docks?
It should. Pickering's by-laws list loading docks, ramps, parking areas, walkways, and outdoor stairs and landings as the owner's responsibility, so each one belongs in your contract scope.
What happens if the sidewalk in front of my business is not cleared in Pickering?
The City can clear it at the owner's expense, with an administration fee added. Owners have 24 hours after snow or ice builds up.
When is overnight street parking banned in Pickering?
From December 1 to March 31, between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. Vehicles on the road during snow clearing can also be ticketed or towed.
Is salting included in a Pickering commercial contract?
Yes. Salt or calcium chloride goes down after every plow visit, and each visit is recorded in a time-stamped log.
When should a Pickering property book its snow contract?
We sign commercial contracts in September and October, so priorities and storage areas are agreed before the season starts on November 1.
Get a Commercial Snow Quote in Pickering
Contact us to book a site review and a free quote for your Pickering property. Our snow removal tips compare common ice melts, and for work on the rest of your grounds, see landscaping in Pickering.
Sources: City of Pickering, Snow Removal and Clearing; City of Pickering, Snow Safety Tips and FAQ; City of Pickering, Ice and Snow Clearing; City of Pickering, Winter Reminders; Ontario e-Laws, Occupiers' Liability Act, section 6.1.