Report damage
Have a sidewalk plow or road plow damaged your property? Fill out a Snowplow Damage Form to let us know.
Remove obstacles
Please remember to keep obstacles such as landscaping hedges, rocks, private curbing and underground irrigation systems off of the City's right-of-way. This includes the boulevard and up to your property line. Any underground irrigation system placed on City property that is damaged by a plow will not be replaced by the City. Operators can find it difficult to maneuver a trackless sidewalk plow around overgrown hedges and shrubs that abut the sidewalk.
Why does the sidewalk plow sometimes damage the sod?
Some older sidewalks in the City are undersized in comparison to the sidewalk plow blade. The machine plow blade is 5 feet in width and when angled is 4 feet 2 inches. The blade needs to be wider than the machine wheel base which is 4 feet wide or material would simply be pushed back onto the walk by the wheels once the plow blade has gone by. Typically sidewalk widths in Niagara Falls are 4 feet to 5 feet wide. As the angled plow blade width is 4 feet 2 inches it should be noted the margin for error is minimal.
When the City plow or other City repair work has damaged the sod can I fix the area myself and get reimbursed?
Yes. If the sod was damaged from City operations and you wish to repair the area yourself please contact the Municipal Service Centre at 905-356-1355 ext. 6510 to speak with the Customer Service Coordinator. This includes but is not limited to damage caused from a City road plow, City sidewalk plow, watermain break repair, curb stop repair, hydrant repair or City tree removal (except for Capital Construction Projects still within warranty).
- Property owners must first notify City staff of your intentions, prior to commencing restoration work or purchasing any necessary materials.
- City Staff will mark and measure the site in order to determine the amount of materials needed and the total reimbursement amount. The City only reimburses for the area damaged by City plow operations.
- The property owner will be notified of the reimbursement amount and will be required to sign an acknowledgement form outlining the details of the reimbursement including the costs. This form also acknowledges that the City is not responsible for the quality or ongoing maintenance of the sod, including watering.
- Once the property owner signs and returns the acknowledgement form they may purchase the materials and carry out the work.
- This reimbursement is for materials only (soil, seed, sod). Labour costs are not included and will not be repaid. Upon completion the property owner must notify the City and provide staff with proof of purchase in the form of receipts or invoices. A City employee will inspect the site and approve the reimbursement.
- Upon approval a cheque will be mailed to the property owner. Please allow 30 days for the cheque to be processed.
- Property owners who choose this option are still eligible for the $10 sod watering rebate. The City of Niagara Falls is not responsible for sod that dies due to lack of watering. Please call the Municipal Service Centre to activate the rebate at 905-356-1355.
This is a faster option for those who do not want to wait for the City contractor to complete all the various repairs on their city-wide work list, which includes asphalt, concrete and sod repairs. These repairs can take some time to complete and be scheduled well into the Fall depending on weather and the total sites included in the city-wide restoration program.
