Ontario is currently grappling with a shortage of road salt, despite it being mid-winter, leading to some cities needing to adjust their usage or ration their supplies.
The accelerated onset of winter and an increase in severe weather conditions have prompted cities to deplete their salt reserves rapidly for de-icing roads and walkways.
Doug Godfrey, the general manager of city operations in Guelph, noted that the city has encountered higher-than-usual precipitation levels. In November and December, Guelph received 104 millimetres of rain and 30 centimetres of snow, surpassing the typical averages of 40 millimetres of rain and 10 centimetres of snow for the same period.
To stretch the dwindling salt reserves, authorities are resorting to using more sand or a combination of sand and road salt.
We’re running at full capacity and we’ve got crews running seven days a week.– Syed Kazmi, Goderich Salt Mine, VP of operations
Perth County is also grappling with salt delivery challenges, impacting their ability to replenish salt storage yards promptly, thus requiring adjustments by plow operators during de-icing operations.
Similarly, the City of Kitchener has faced a shortfall in salt supply this winter, necessitating the implementation of salt conservation measures, such as providing salt management training to road crews and prioritizing plowing efforts before salting or sanding.
Despite the constraints, the city assures that it has sufficient salt reserves 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, leading to challenges at the Goderich underground salt mine, one of the world’s largest, despite operating at maximum capacity with crews working continuously.
Syed Kazmi, the VP of operations at Goderich Salt Mine, highlighted the strain caused by the sudden spike in demand over a short period, necessitating round-the-clock operations.
In response to the salt scarcity, suppliers in Ontario are prioritizing deliveries to municipalities, leading private contractors to source salt from other provinces like Quebec due to the limited local supply.
Christopher Arnts of Arnts the Landscape Supplier Inc. in Whitby emphasized the significant increase in demand for salt, resulting in higher costs for out-of-province supplies that ultimately get passed on to consumers.
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