Snow contractors face road salt shortage again in Ontario

Private Snow Removal Companies Face Road Salt Shortage

Private snow removal companies are raising concerns about a road salt shortage. They report that rationing began before this winter season started.

“It’s a tough winter we’re going through right now,” said Alex Ferrante from Gateway Landscape Group. “It started early in November, and we just have to use it wisely.”

Rock salt is in high demand this time of year, but private contractors are struggling to find it.

High Demand and Limited Supply

Christopher Arnts from Arnts The Landscaping Supplier in Whitby, Ont. shared on Instagram that there is high demand but limited supply of rock salt.

“We were salting on November 9 this year, which is the earliest day that we’ve been salting since I’ve been in the industry,” said Arnts.

He added, “When our suppliers notified us at the beginning of December that they could no longer supply us, it left us in a situation where we weren’t going to have enough product to sell our customers. So we immediately started looking for alternative sources.”

Consumer Impact

Consumers may notice fewer road salt palettes in stores. CityNews asked The Home Depot about the situation. They stated, “We are actively working to manage inventory of rock salt and ice melt in our stores.”

They also suggested customers consider using sand, gravel, and snow tools like shovels and snowblowers.

Previous Shortages

Private snow removal contractors have faced similar shortages before. In 2025, Ontario had a significant road salt shortage due to frequent winter storms.

“We had a salt shortage last February, so that wiped out a lot of the reserve supplies in the area,” said Arnts.

Joe Salemi, Executive Director of Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association, explained, “Production is based on previous winters.”

Rising Costs

The price of wholesale road salt has increased significantly. “With the demand and the shortage, the price has gone from about 65 or 70 dollars a ton to almost 190 dollars a ton,” said Salemi.

He noted that private snow contractors feel pressure to use more salt than necessary due to liability concerns.

City of Toronto’s Situation

The road salt shortage does not affect the City of Toronto. They stated they have three exclusive suppliers consistently delivering enough salt.

“Municipalities prioritize salt deliveries over private contractors,” said Arnts. “They are buying more on average than private contractors.”

Looking Ahead

As the road salt shortage continues, contractors like Ferrante hope to have enough for the storms ahead. “Our worry is it’s only January. We still have a good two and a half months of winter. We hope it’s an early spring,” he said.