Here’s the full list of City of Toronto services affected by blizzard

The City of Toronto says it is modifying and suspending a number of services “to prioritize the safety of staff and residents” after a rare blizzard dumped mounds of snow on the Big Smoke Monday.

With snow still falling, the City stresses that updates will be provided throughout the day.

Here’s a look at what’s been affected, and how you can stay up-to-date. (Source: City of Toronto)

Road closures

Toronto police made the rare decision to temporarily close the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway “to help move vehicles that may be stuck in the snow and to allow snow plows to clear the routes.” The Gardiner has since fully reopened, along with the southbound DVP. The northbound DVP remains closed.

The City says updates will be provided on the Toronto Police Twitter page.

UPDATE: Eastbound and westbound Gardiner is now fully open. Eastbound drivers on Gardiner will need to exit at Jarvis or before. Northbound DVP remains closed and southbound DVP is fully open. ^CdKhttps://t.co/zawMQwOvOb

— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) January 17, 2022

“Residents are asked to stay off city roads, unless absolutely necessary. First responders are doing their best to respond to emergency calls, prioritizing calls to ensure the city remains safe,” the City said in a release.

City-operated vaccination clinics

The push to vaccinate Torontonians had to take a pause on Monday after Toronto Public Health announced that its five City-run immunization clinics would be closed due to the storm.

If you have an appointment for today, the City says you’ll receive instructions on how to reschedule. More info here.

Libraries

The City has closed all of its library branches today on account of the snow storm. Reopening plans will be updated here.

Children’s services

The City says all City-operated centres that are currently open are experiencing “some service impacts due to current weather conditions.”

Affected families are being contacted directly.

All before and after-school services operating in schools are closed today.

Shelters and homeless supports

The following Warming Centres are currently open:

• 129 Peter St.
• 5800 Yonge St.
• Exhibition Place, Better Living Centre, 195 Princes’ Blvd.

A fourth Warming Centre at Scarborough Civic Centre, 150 Borough Dr. will open at 7 p.m. tonight.

The City’s Streets to Homes program will continue to dispatch additional 24/7 teams to connect with people living outside and encourage them to come indoors.

Toronto Employment & Social Services (TESS)

The City notes the following impacts to in-person services:

Metro Hall Employment & Social Services

• will remain open until 2 p.m. to issue emergency payments

Scarborough Village Employment & Social Services

• closed to the public

York Humber Employment & Social

• closed to the public

The City says clients can continue to access services today by phone and online. Service updates to the City website and TESS’ social media accounts are currently underway.

Garbage and recycling collection

The City hasn’t cancelled garbage collection, but it’s reminding residents of how to set out your waste in a snow storm.

• Residents must clear snow around bins, never place bins behind or on a snowbank, and ensure a clear path from the bin to the road.

Parks, Forestry and Recreation

• Community centres that are regularly open for washroom and shower access are closed today.
• Outdoor skating rinks are closed and will not be supervised or maintained.
• Permits for outdoor rinks for today are being cancelled and permit holders are being contacted directly.
• The City’s Ski and Snowboard Centres at Earl Bales Parks and Centennial Park Ski are closed.
• The Toronto Island ferries are continuing to operate but there may be weather-related delays.
• Riverdale Farm and High Park Zoo are open.
• Regular snow clearing operations may be affected.

Municipal Licensing services

• Bylaw enforcement: response times may be reduced and in-field inspections will be significantly lower because of inclement weather. Emergency responses for vital services will remain a priority and are not impacted.
• Animal Services: will respond to emergencies where absolutely required. People calling 311 will be advised as to whether a response can be made or not.
• Business licensing: No impact as all operations for the public can be conducted online.

Courts

The public who attend court locations for in-person services can expect longer than usual wait times. All court and tribunal remote hearings are proceeding. City call centre and email channels are operating as normal at this time.

• Clerks: Staff are onsite and operational. Appointments have been modified to allow scheduled appointments to proceed while allowing time changes due to weather.
• Legal: Of counter services that are open in the Civic Centres, the Prosecutions counter at YCC is closed.  All prosecutions services are being conducted electronically.

All court remote hearings are proceeding.

Snow clearing

Winter maintenance operations are expected to continue throughout the day and into Tuesday and Wednesday to ensure that roadways remain safe and accessible.