Council to consider axing Elmira sidewalk snow clearing program
Posted Jun 22, 2026 10:52:20 AM.
Last Updated Jun 22, 2026 12:34:31 PM.
The Township of Woolwich will consider discontinuing its sidewalk snow clearing program in Elmira at a meeting on Monday.
The township has been running the program since 2005, but the growing population of Elmira and evolving weather patterns have made the program difficult to manage in recent years.
According to township staff, Elmira is the only place in Waterloo Region where this type of program exists.
In 2026, the township has budgeted $310,000 for sidewalk snow clearing. That cost, on top of a $150,000 accumulated deficit from 2025, means Woolwich taxpayers will pay, on average, $130 on their property taxes this year on sidewalk snow clearing alone.
With those costs in mind, staff are recommending that the program be discontinued in favour of an allocated $85,000 budget for clearing public-facing sidewalks, including Whippoorwill Drive, Arthur Street South, and Barnswallow Drive.
The Township of Woolwich regular council meeting begins on Monday at 6 p.m.
