KIM BURTON-SCHRAM
Local journalism initiative reporter
Several Ontario municipalities are raising the alarm about road salt shortages as winter continues to dump more snow. Salt supplies have been depleted with the frequent winter weather events, resulting in challenges sourcing additional salt.
However, Cameron Harper, SDG Counties Director of Transportation Services, said the Counties currently has enough salt in its inventories. “We have several large salt storage facilities that we fill at the start of each winter and re-order smaller amounts as needed to finish out the season.” He added, “SDG is currently in the middle of a multi-year tender and through on-going conversations with our supplier, they have confirmed availability for our Municipality when purchased at our regular pace based on historical usage.” In some parts of Eastern Ontario, maintenance teams have been facing salt supply issues for some time. Concern for salt shortages started eight years ago when there had been a strike in one of the salt mines. Fast forward to 2026, and while salt operations are running at full capacity, demand has continued to grow due to previous hard winters with excess ice and snow. The salt applied to roads dissolves as a salty runoff, infiltrating ground water aquifers and flowing into rivers and lakes. All this runoff has the potential to enter municipal drinking water sources, with amounts accumulating each year, increasing the chloride levels in water. Because chloride does not break down, the raised level in freshwater disrupts ecosystems, affecting the survival of fish and the growth of algae. Some see the shortage of road salt as opportunity to implement more environmentally friendly ice management options including beet brine, pickle juice and even molasses. Beet juice is a byproduct of sugar beet and improves the effectiveness of salt when combined to make a brine. Some municipalities pre-apply liquid beet and salt brine to roads before an expected storm. A group of Quebec students from John Abbott College won a Green Innovation Challenge after completing a research project using pickle juice to melt ice from streets and sidewalks. Even molasses has been combined with salt and water to create a brine for roadway treatment before winter weather.
L’article SDG unaffected by road salt shortage est apparu en premier sur Cornwall Seaway News.
