Employees in Toronto throw salt on snow banks to melt them

A salt sprayed snowdrift on March 4 along Sammon Avenue in East Toronto

The City of Toronto condemns the practice of two employees who sprinkled snowbanks with salt along an avenue in the city's east end last Saturday, the day after a snowstorm.

Radio-Canada observed the two men taking shovelfuls of road salt from the back of their pickup truck and dumping them on top of the snowbanks along the road. #x27;Avenue Sammon on Saturday afternoon, the day after a storm that left up to 30 cm of snow.

We don't know if they have done the same thing elsewhere.

We contacted the City about this last Sunday and finally received a response Wednesday afternoon, following multiple email reminders.

“It is not normal practice to put street salt on snow banks. If it was a City of Toronto team [that did this], the employees will be trained again. »

— Vincent Sferrazza, Maintenance Manager, Municipal Transportation Department

The van seen by Radio-Canada had a City of Toronto identification number, but we do not know if they were municipal employees or subcontractors.

De-icing salt is a source of pollution for flora and waterways.

The City of Toronto recognizes it, saying it limits its use.

The City is aware of the environmental risks posed by de-icing salt and we have improved the way salt is transported, stored and used to reduce the amount of salt in the environment, can we read on the website of the Toronto highways.