York Region De-Icing Strategies (2012)

Like many municipalities in Ontario, the Region of York is increasingly challenged by the growing variability of the winter season. Freeze-thaw damage, weather variability and extreme weather events such as blizzards pose a safety hazard for travelers and make it increasingly difficult to maintain the roads, resulting in costly investment in infrastructure.

To adapt to these new weather patterns, the Region has invested in new strategies for de-icing and anti-icing, and has adopted several new tools to optimize their ability to respond to these winter issues.

The case study highlights specific challenges faced by the Region concerning ice and concludes with lessons learned that may be of value to other municipalities that experience similar issues.