As snow blanketed Ontario last week—as much as 40 centimetres in some areas—snow removal contractors were in their trucks, plowing roads and laying down salt. But in the wake of the storm, many contractors have admitted that their supply of road salt is running low.
“The general production rate of road salt has been a lot less this winter,” says Joe Salemi, the executive director of Landscape Ontario, a trades association that represents approximately 3,000 of the province’s 8,000 snow removal contractors.
Most contractors acquire their road salt either from Goderich, Ont.’s salt mine or Mines Seleine in Quebec. These salt mines determine how much salt they’ll produce each year based on the historical snowfall of previous winters. “The last couple of winters, the snowfalls have been few and far between,” says Salemi. “And with all of the extra, smaller snowfalls that we’ve seen this winter, it means that we have to use a lot more salt.”
The mines have also been plagued with supply delays caused by equipment issues that affect loading the road salt into trucks.
Unable to purchase from these two mines, contractors are being forced to search for suppliers further afield. But sourcing road salt from other countries isn’t much better. This requires significant coordination and time to organize. Salemi says that several years ago, during a labour dispute at the Goderich mine, a group of contractors banded together and arranged for a tanker to deliver road salt from Egypt. “That took eight to 10 months of planning and transport,” he says. “And when it came into the port, it was a massive effort to unload and get it distributed to the contractors.”
7 tips for using less road salt
When road salt does become available, government contractors get priority. This is because they’re responsible for clearing provincial and municipal roads. However, they use huge amounts of road salt, leaving little for private contractors who service parking lots and driveways. Salemi says he knows one contractor who operates around the GTA that will use 20,000 tonnes of road salt in a night.
There are alternatives to road salt, such as liquid de-icer. But Salemi says liquid de-icer requires expensive specialty equipment that many contractors don’t have. Instead, some contractors are treating their salt with a brine before laying it down. The brine allows contractors to use between 25 to 30 per cent less salt because it further lowers the freezing point of water, preventing snow and ice from bonding to the pavement.
There is also the option to ration salt by combining it with other substances, such as sand. But most contractors are reluctant to do this due to liability concerns. The moment a private contractor leaves a space they’ve salted, such as a parking lot, they’re liable for any incidents that occur. This could include someone slipping and falling, or a car sliding and hitting a pole.
Why the cost of snow removal will still be high this winter
Salemi adds that general liability insurance for snow contractors has skyrocketed over the last four years. “Because the market has hardened, the deductible alone for a slip and fall claim could easily be between $25,000 and $30,000,” he says. As a result, contractors tend to over salt these spaces.
To protect contractors, Landscape Ontario is advocating for legislative changes that would provide a more equal distribution of liability between contractors and property owners.
“This will help alleviate the pressure on contractors, reduce excessive salt use as a risk mitigation strategy, and create a fairer system for winter maintenance responsibility,” says Salemi.
Related Story An expert’s guide on how to shovel snow without injuring yourself
Related Story 6 winter maintenance tasks that you never want to ignore
Related Story This cottager saved cash by building his own heating system