US EditionOntario Cities Running Low on Road Salt Amid Harsh Winter, Increased Exports to U.S.
Ontario municipalities mix salt with sand, adjust plowing, and ration supplies due to high demand and export-driven shortages, with salt prices rising from $70 to $300 per ton.
- Reports this week show Ontario municipalities and private contractors are managing a road-salt shortage and adjusting winter operations, as detailed in a report first published Feb. 4, 2026.
- Amid a harsher, early winter, officials cite increased salt use from frequent snow events, unprecedented northern U.S. demand reducing domestic supply, and shipping constraints on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway.
- To conserve salt, municipal crews are targeting intersections, curves, and hills rather than treating entire roads, and will plow major roads more frequently, officials said.
- The price of one ton of rock salt has jumped from around $70 to nearly $300, raising costs for municipalities and contractors, while some cities, including Barrie, say they may increase winter stockpiles and review procurement after this winter.
- Compass Minerals said the Goderich mine produces nearly 7.25 million tons annually and teams are working 24-7 to supply the region, despite some counties reporting adequate supplies from separate agreements.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
Ontario cities running low on road salt amid harsh winter, increased exports to U.S.
Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
Barrie's road salt running low as Ontario cities grapple with shortage amid harsh winter, increased exports to U.S.
Some Ontario municipalities and private contractors are mixing salt with sand and other materials to melt ice and snow this winter as the province faces a critical shortage of road salt amid skyrocketing demand. Joe Salemi, the executive director of Landscape Ontario, said the shortage is caused by several factors, including a particularly harsh and snowy winter and a lack of supply for domestic use because of increased exports of rock salt to …
Ontario cities running low on road salt amid harsh winter, increased exports to U.S. – 105.9 The Region
Some Ontario municipalities and private contractors are mixing salt with sand and other materials to melt ice and snow this winter as the province faces a critical shortage of road salt amid skyrocketing demand. Joe Salemi, the executive director of Landscape Ontario, said the shortage is caused by several factors, including a particularly harsh and snowy winter and a lack of supply for domestic use because of increased exports of rock salt to t…
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