A Significant Weather Event is an approaching or occurring weather hazard with the potential to pose a significant danger to users of the highways/roadways within a Municipality.

Weather hazards are determined by Environment Canada as meeting the criteria for the issuance of an alert under its Public Weather Alerting Program.

Ontario Regulation 239/02, Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways/Roadways, made under the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended, gives Municipalities the authority to declare a Significant Weather Event when a weather hazard is approaching or occurring and has the potential to pose a significant hazard to users of the highways/roadways in which the municipality has authority over.

When a Municipality declares a Significant Weather Event, the declaration suspends the standard timelines required for Municipalities to meet their road maintenance objectives until the Municipality declares the Significant Weather Event has ended. During the course of a declared Significant Weather Event, the standard for addressing road maintenance is to monitor the weather and to deploy resources to address the issue starting from the time the Municipality deems it appropriate to do so. When the Municipality has declared the event has ended, the standard timelines for road maintenance activities will begin.

A Municipality may declare a Significant Weather Event when the weather forecast or weather condition includes one or more, but is not limited to one or more, of the following conditions:

• Environment Canada has issued an alert under its Public Weather Alerting Program
• Significant snow and/or rain accumulation during a 24 hour period
• Ice formation that occurs with no warning from the weather forecast
• Extreme cold temperature when de-icing operations will not be effective

No. A declaration of a Significant Weather Event is not notice of a reduced level of service. The declaration is to notify the public that due to the current or forecast conditions, caution is to be observed when travelling on the municipality’s highways, roads, and sidewalks, and that it may take longer than usual to bring the condition of the roads and sidewalks back to standard conditions.

No.  A declaration of a Significant Weather Event is not notice of a road closure. The declaration is to notify the public that due to the current or forecast conditions, caution is to be observed when travelling on the municipality’s highways, roads, and sidewalks, and that it may take longer than usual to bring the condition of the roads and sidewalks back to optimal conditions.

The Municipality of Magnetawan will notify the public of the declaration of a Significant Weather Event by doing one or more of the following:

• Posting a Public Service Announcement on the Municipality's website, www.magnetawan.com
• Sending a Public Service Announcement through the electronic mailer 
• Making a Public Service Announcement on the Municipality’s Facebook and Instagram pages 
• Posting on the Municipality's Digital Sign 
• Posting hard copy Public Service Announcement Posters at key public posting boards including the Post Office
• Making a Public Service Announcement on our phone answering system