Tag: driveway

Boulevard Repaving in Toronto, Canada

Boulevard repaving, Toronto, Canada. The boulevard asphalt on my neighbours house is compressed by a roller machine. Photo8 by Don Tai

Boulevard repaving, Toronto, Canada. The boulevard asphalt on my neighbours house is compressed by a roller machine. Photo8 by Don Tai

Toronto Hydro had dug up a section of my neighbour’s boulevard when Bell Canada came in to install their fiber optic cables. Hydro dug up a section of asphalt, did the repair, poured gravel down the hole, then repaved with asphalt. A month later the gravel and asphalt has settled. The City of Toronto then dug up the complete boulevard and repaved the bottom layer with asphalt. They will later return to complete the top layer with a finer asphalt.

When You Must Shovel Snow off your Driveway

A +4C snowfall followed by a -4C overnight freeze turns heavy, wet snow into ice that has the consistency of concrete.

A +4C snowfall followed by a -4C overnight freeze turns heavy, wet snow into ice that has the consistency of concrete.

We are from Toronto, Canada, and most of Canada regularly gets snow during the winter. As the snow falls from the sky it accumulates. This accumulation must be removed from the streets, sidewalks and private driveways in order for cars to safely drive on the street and for people to be able to safely walk on the sidewalk. There are times when you can leave the snow on your driveway and clear it away some time later, but in some specific conditions, waiting even 6 hours can make the job multiple times more difficult. These conditions include above freezing temperatures while the snow falls, followed by a quick below 0C freeze overnight, turning wet, heavy snow into a large block of ice.

Driveway Snowbanks are over 5′ high

Driveway, sidewalk and snowbank, on S's side

Driveway, sidewalk and snowbank, on S's side

     


In true Canadian spirit, we must talk about snow and winter. This winter is unique in that while it has snowed a little more than an average year, there has been very little melt. This means that, not surprisingly, the snow accumulates. In downtown Toronto, snow may be carted off in trucks to a local park and dumped, but in most residential areas, it is simply too expensive.

My neighbour S has a snow service that clears his driveway with a truck. The truck has a plow and scrapes the snow backwards towards the street. Once on the street the snow is pushed up onto the side of the curb.