Snow plow operators in Mississauga quit following aggressive behaviour, violence from residents

It’s been a busy March for snow plow operators in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), but according to the City of Mississauga, it’s also been a violent one for some workers in the area.

In an email to CTV News Toronto, the city said there were eight reported incidents between residents and snow removal workers following a significant snowfall earlier this month, the majority of which included instances of residents trying to stop plows from entering their street and prevent snow being left in front of their driveways.

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“The incidents included verbal abuse as well as damage to plow trucks by residents using their shovels to break lights and mirrors,” the city said.

The statement follows a letter issued by Ward 10 Coun. Sue McFadden after the early-March storm, in which she shared an email from the city that said a number of contractors had quit due to the abuse.

“As a result of the aggressive behaviour experienced during the last winter event, several staff resigned their position as they did not feel safe doing their job,” the email read.

Much of the GTA was struck by what’s known as “thundersnow” on March 3, a somewhat rare weather event that dropped as much as 30 centimetres of snow in some areas.

Ahead of another winter wallop, before McFadden’s letter was issued, she urged residents to be patient as driveway windrows were once again expected.

“With another 10 cm of snow expected and already on the way today, please demonstrate patience and understanding toward the city crews working to make the roads accessible,” she wrote.

A city tractor clears snow from a public walkway following a winter storm that affected southern Ontario, in Toronto, on Thursday, Feb., 23, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

She said Brampton and Caledon experienced “similar issues with residents stopping plowing operators,” and that arrests related to the behaviour were made in Milton and Oshawa. In the latter instance, police in Durham Region told CTV News Toronto that a man was charged with assaulting a snow plow driver after a pile of snow blocked his driveway.

For Peel police’s part, a spokesperson told CTV News Toronto that the service was not aware of any such reported incidents.

In Toronto, snow clearing efforts left much to be desired in some areas.

In one instance, a family accused the city of “negligence” after a man broke his ankle when he slipped on uncleared snow. In another, volunteers travelled to 30 different streetcar stops and cleared mountains of snow that had blocked access to public transit.

Toronto paramedics encountered snow and ice on a sidewalk as they attempted to bring a stretcher to assist patient Alvin Rebick on March 5. (Kael Rebick photo)

Ward 17 Coun. Shelley Carroll acknowledged people in Toronto are in “high dudgeon” about snow removal this year, but that any complaints should be formally submitted to the city.

“They’re not prepared to go through the normal complaint processes and every municipality in the GTHA goes to great pains in the fall to say, ‘We’re going to start snow plowing the first time it snows and if you have an issue here’s where to call and here’s how to get it addressed,’” she told NEWSTALK 1010’s Moore in the Morning on Thursday.

“There are ways to do that without just berating some guy who is certainly not the manager of this system.”

Carroll is one of two Toronto councillors who want staff to undertake a “comprehensive review” of the city’s snow clearing operations this winter, with a specific focus on preventing homeowners and maintenance staff from dumping ice and snow on sidewalks and bike lanes.

That joint motion will be considered by Toronto’s infrastructure and environment committee next week.

#LISTEN @Newstalk1010: "In my part of the city, where it's front lawns and grass, the new sidewalk clearing equipment chewed up a lot of lawn."@DianneSaxe and I are requesting a first year review of winter maintenance contracts and complaints. Read more: https://t.co/HXkUWiRVNI pic.twitter.com/JklRfH9gaK

— Shelley Carroll (@shelleycarroll) March 14, 2023