Item - 2026.IE30.13

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee:

1. Requested the General Manager, Transportation Services, consider working with the local Councillor prior to the 2026–2027 winter season on targeted winter maintenance improvements for Davenport, University-Rosedale, Etobicoke-Lakeshore, Eglinton-Lawrence, Don Valley West and Toronto-Danforth, including operational adjustments that address snow clearing on narrow streets while maintaining accessibility, and the development of options for increased snow removal, where appropriate.

2. Requested the General Manager, Transportation Services, and the Chief Communications Officer consider exploring ways and channels to provide residents with detailed feedback when barriers prevent timely servicing of 311 requests, including explanations of operational constraints and expected timelines for resolution.

3. Requested the General Manager, Transportation Services, and the Chief Communications Officer consider developing an information and educational campaign to inform residents about what constitutes a Major Snow Event, what operations are activated during such events, and what residents can expect in terms of service levels and timelines.

I want to thank the Infrastructure and Environment Committee, along with the City’s Transportation Services staff, for the significant work already undertaken as part of Toronto’s annual Winter Maintenance Review. Important progress has been made to evaluate service delivery, improve operational readiness, and strengthen communication with residents, and I know these changes are appreciated by communities across Toronto.

While the annual review of our winter maintenance program is essential to keeping Toronto moving, its citywide standards do not always reflect the unique built form challenges present in older parts of the city. Davenport (Ward 9) is part of the old City of Toronto and retains many of its historic physical characteristics including narrow residential streets, long stretches of monolithic sidewalks, high-density arterial corridors, and very limited space to store snow. Many of our neighbourhoods are also historically working-class areas where homes sit close together and residents have no private space to move snow.

This winter Davenport had one of the lowest rates of service for snow clearing and removal anywhere in Toronto and consistently had the highest number of 311 requests. My residents have been clear in their feedback that the City’s standard winter maintenance approach does not fully account for the physical constraints and lived realities of our community.

Community members have highlighted persistent barriers to mobility, safety, and accessibility during major snow events. They have also expressed a strong desire for clearer communication, more transparent timelines, and winter operations that better reflect the neighbourhoods that we live in.

In support of the Committee’s ongoing review, and informed by extensive resident feedback, I am requesting your consideration of the following recommendations.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee request that:

1. The General Manager, Transportation Services, work with the local Councillor prior to the 2026–2027 winter season on targeted winter maintenance improvements for Davenport, including operational adjustments that address snow clearing on narrow streets while maintaining accessibility, and the development of options for increased snow removal, where appropriate.

2. The General Manager, Transportation Services, and the Chief Communications Officer explore ways and channels to provide residents with detailed feedback when barriers prevent timely servicing of 311 requests, including explanations of operational constraints and expected timelines for resolution.

3. The General Manager, Transportation Services, and the Chief Communications Officer develop an information and educational campaign to inform residents about what constitutes a Major Snow Event, what operations are activated during such events, and what residents can expect in terms of service levels and timelines.

Davenport residents are eager to see improvements that reflect the realities of our built form and support safe, accessible mobility throughout the winter months. I look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the Committee and City staff to ensure that our winter maintenance program evolves to meet the needs of all communities.