If you’re already over winter, you’re definitely not alone.
Since that first big snow hit back in November, Waterloo Region has been getting hit pretty regularly with snow, and several snow events have been declared. Actually, the City of Kitchener has called six snow events this year – usually there are about five in a typical season.
All that snow has kept city crews on their toes just trying to keep up. And it’s sparked hundreds of complaints from residents who think the snow removal is taking way too long.
On Jan. 8, the City of Cambridge shared an update on how they’ve handled the weather so far this year. Turns out they got over 1,370 calls from people about snow-related issues.
After hearing a bunch of complaints from folks in her area, Cambridge Ward 1 Councillor Helen Shwery put forward a motion asking city staff to step up their snow-clearing game.
She talked about it on The Mike Farwell Show and gave more details about the motion that’s going to be discussed at the Feb. 3 council meeting.
“I want them to be able to explain to residents what they are doing. Come back and give us a range of options to increase the level of service and give us, for example, more timely snow removal and to add salting of residential roads and sidewalks.”
Right now, Cambridge only salts intersections but Shwery wants that to change.
She said people she’s chatted with feel like the city isn’t really delivering on its promises.
“We’ve had a lot of snow but hey, we live in Canada, and our cities should be prepared. Residents are frustrated, and a lot of the comments are, ‘I’m paying high taxes, and I expect my roads to be cleared, and sidewalks salted.’ And, I agree with them.”
Truck driving down snowy street in Cambridge, Ontario on Jan. 21, 2026. (Mark Douglas | 570 News Radio Kitchener).
Adding extra maintenance will definitely cost more money but Shwery thinks it can happen without hitting taxpayers harder.
“I don’t feel we need to invest any more money because we spend a lot of money on other things that are not core services. We just need to refocus our priorities on core services,” she said. “I don’t believe one bit that we have to increase taxes at all.”
Kitchener also facing backlash over plowing delays
The frustration isn’t just coming from Cambridge residents when it comes to how fast plows are getting around.
Kitchener got plenty of heat online last week after announcing they were ending their latest snow event even though some roads still needed clearing.
A lot of folks questioned whether they’re getting good value given what they pay in taxes.
The City of Kitchener sent this statement out to 570 News Radio:
“Even if snow is still falling or there is more snow in the forecast, the City can cancel a snow event once our plows have maintained all local roads to meet provincial maintenance standards. Cancelling a snow event does not mean that plows stop working. It just means that residents can resume parking on streets during permitted hours.”
The statement also reminded everyone overnight street parking is banned between Dec. 1 and March 31 anyway.
They added it can take anywhere from 16 up to 24 hours after snowfall ends for all routes across town to get fully cleared.
If someone complains about road conditions staff will check out the spot right away and respond based on what they find.
You can file complaints through Kitchener’s Report A Problem web portal if you notice issues with road conditions yourself.
