Blog · Cambridge

Cambridge's 36-hour sidewalk rule and the snow event parking ban: what homeowners actually have to do

In Cambridge, residents are responsible for clearing snow and ice from the sidewalks around their property within 36 hours of a snowfall ending, and during a declared snow event parking is prohibited on every city street until the event is over. The 36-hour window is more generous than Kitchener's or Waterloo's, but Cambridge's by-law officers monitor sidewalks proactively rather than waiting for a complaint.

Last updated October 24, 2026 · Reviewed by the Cambridge Snow Removal team

How long do I have to clear my sidewalk in Cambridge?

36 hours after the snowfall ends. The City of Cambridge's winter maintenance page says residents are responsible for clearing snow and ice from the sidewalks around their property within 36 hours, and the snow event page repeats it as 36 hours following the end of any snow fall, at the front and side of homes and businesses. That is twelve hours longer than the 24-hour rule in Kitchener and Waterloo, and it is the Cambridge figure that applies here, not the one a friend across the city line quotes.

The deadline runs from the end of the snowfall, not the start. In a two-day storm that matters: the clock does not begin until the snow stops, and then you have a day and a half. Ice counts as well as snow, so a sidewalk that has been shovelled but has glazed over is not finished until the ice is dealt with.

Who checks, and what happens if it is not done

Cambridge's enforcement is less relaxed than its deadline. The City's snow event page states that by-law officers respond to complaints and proactively monitor sidewalks for compliance. In Kitchener and Waterloo the process starts with a complaint; in Cambridge an officer driving through Galt after a storm can note an uncleared frontage without anyone having phoned. Residents can also report an unshovelled sidewalk to Service Cambridge, and a by-law officer then determines whether the sidewalk is clear. The practical consequence of failing an inspection is a matter for the City, and the current enforcement steps and any charges should be confirmed on the City's pages rather than assumed.

For a property manager with a dozen frontages in the three downtowns, proactive monitoring means a dozen chances a winter to be found out. That is the case for a sidewalk service with a visit log rather than relying on tenants or staff.

Which sidewalks does the City of Cambridge clear?

The City clears a specific list of sidewalks itself, and the rest are the adjacent owner's job. According to the winter maintenance page, City-maintained sidewalks are:

• Sidewalks around City-owned property, such as community centres.
• Sidewalks along regional roads.
• Back-lot sidewalks that run along the back fence of properties.
• Curb-faced sidewalks, meaning those next to the curb or with a boulevard of less than 0.25 m, except in the three BIA cores of Galt, Hespeler and Preston.
• Walkways between neighbourhoods, and walkways leading from the street to a park with a paved path.

The BIA exception catches people out. A storefront on a curb-faced sidewalk in downtown Preston or the Hespeler village core is the owner's responsibility even though the same sidewalk layout elsewhere in the city would be cleared by the City. The City publishes a sidewalk map so you can check a specific address.

What is a snow event, and can I park on the street?

A snow event is declared when snow accumulation is forecast to be more than 8 cm, or when crews need to service residential roads because of icy conditions, and not every snowfall warrants one. From the start time, parking is prohibited on all streets until the event has ended. Snow events remain in effect for 24 hours from the start or until a cancellation is issued. Three details from the City's snow event page are worth knowing before the first storm:

1. Every previously issued parking exemption is cancelled for the duration of the event. Holding an overnight exemption does not help you during a snow event.
2. Towing is selective. Any vehicle that interferes with snow-clearing may be ticketed or towed at the owner's expense, and towing occurs to the degree necessary to let clearing proceed. The City notes that some cars may be towed from a street while others are not.
3. Declarations are posted on the City's Snow Event Declarations page and its social media accounts. Events can start at any time, so checking before you leave the car out on a stormy evening is the habit to build.

Separately from snow events, overnight on-street parking is not permitted from January 1 to March 15 between 2:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. without an exemption from the City. Kitchener's overnight ban runs on different dates, so if you have moved from one city to the other, check the Cambridge dates.

Your street may stay white, and the plow may come days later

Two things on the City's pages change how a Cambridge driveway contract should be written. First, most residential streets, laneways, courts and cul-de-sacs are not regularly treated with salt, to protect the environment and the drinking water, and the City says plainly that most residential streets will remain snow-covered throughout much of the winter season. Second, residential streets and cul-de-sacs are cleared when there is a lot of snow, typically 8 cm or more, after priority routes, and some contracted roads, particularly cul-de-sacs and laneways, are serviced on their own timing. So your driveway can be cleared on time, the street can stay snow-covered for a week, and the City plow can arrive days later and leave a windrow across the apron. The contract has to account for all three, which is why the windrow clause matters more in Cambridge than almost anywhere.

Where the snow goes is also regulated. The City asks residents not to shovel snow back onto the road or over catch basins, and section 181 of Ontario's Highway Traffic Act prohibits depositing snow or ice on a roadway without the road authority's written permission. On the sloped lots climbing away from the Grand in Galt, letting the snow run downhill to the street is the easy option and the illegal one.

What this means for your snow quote

Tell the contractor whether your sidewalk is on the City's list or yours, whether you are in a BIA core, and how steep the driveway is. The contractor we book for Cambridge builds seasonal driveway contracts around the grade, the stacking spot and the windrow, and prices sidewalk service for landlords and property managers separately with a dated visit record per address. If you cannot shovel yourself, check the City's Snow Removal Assistance Program first; it is free, limited to 50 spots on a first come, first served basis for residents with a disability that prevents shovelling and a household income below the City's threshold, and covers the sidewalk and driveway apron only. Planning ranges are on the Cambridge snow removal cost page, or describe the property here.

Sources

• Winter maintenance and snowplowing - City of Cambridge
• Snow event - City of Cambridge
• Snow Removal Assistance Program - City of Cambridge
• Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 181 - Government of Ontario