Despite winter being far from over, Ontario is currently grappling with a scarcity of road salt, leading some cities to adapt or ration their supplies. The early onset of winter and an increase in severe weather conditions have caused cities to rapidly deplete their salt reserves.
According to Doug Godfrey, the general manager of city operations, Guelph typically receives around 40 millimetres of rain and 10 centimetres of snow in November and December. However, this year, the city has experienced above-average precipitation levels, with 104 millimetres of rain and 30 centimetres of snow during the same period.
To make their salt supply last longer, cities are resorting to using more sand or a combination of sand and road salt for de-icing purposes.
We’re running at full capacity and we’ve got crews running seven days a week.– Syed Kazmi, Goderich Salt Mine, VP of operations
Coping with salt delivery challenges, Perth County is slowly replenishing its storage facilities with road salt, affecting plow operators who are adjusting their de-icing procedures.
Kitchener also acknowledged a lower-than-expected salt supply this winter and is implementing various measures to conserve salt, including providing training for the roads team, monitoring weather conditions, and prioritizing substantial plowing efforts before salting or sanding.
Despite the shortage, the city has assured that it possesses enough salt for future use.
Ontario’s road salt supply is already strained because of higher-than-usual levels of precipitation and snow across the province. The salt mine in Goderich, Ont., says it is operating at full capacity but demand is so high some municipalities are having to ration salt to stretch out their stock.
Goderich mine crews work round the clock
The demand for road salt has surged to the extent that the Goderich Salt Mine, one of the world’s largest underground salt mines located beneath Lake Huron, is struggling to meet it, despite operating at full capacity with crews working continuously.
Syed Kazmi, the vice-president of operations at Goderich Salt Mine, highlighted the challenges posed by the unusually high demand within a short timeframe.
Due to the road salt shortages, suppliers in Ontario are prioritizing municipalities, compelling those working with private contractors to seek supplies from other provinces, such as Quebec.