In short
- Gloucester was a city from 1981 until it joined Ottawa in 2001; about 150,012 people lived there in 2021.
- Companies quote by neighbourhood. One east-end firm covers Blackburn Hamlet, Pineview and Findlay Creek, and lists Beacon Hill and "Gloucester" as areas it does not serve.
- That firm's season starts at $649 single and $749 double at a 5 cm trigger; a firm serving Orléans and Beacon Hill lists $530 and $580, plus HST.
- The City makes the owner responsible for the windrow its plow leaves across the driveway.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Season, single / double / triple driveway, 5 cm | $649 / $749 / $849 | One firm serving Blackburn Hamlet, Pineview and Findlay Creek; + HST |
| Same, 2.5 cm trigger | $1,149 / $1,349 / $1,599 | Same firm |
| Season, single / double / triple driveway | $530 / $580 / $605 | One firm serving Orléans and Beacon Hill; + HST |
| Main street surcharge | $100 per season | Same Orléans and Beacon Hill firm; + HST |
| Seasonal residential contract | $300–$1,800+ per winter | HomeStars Ottawa page |
| Driveway and sidewalk, one visit | $40–$150 | HomeStars Ottawa page |
Sources. One east-end firm’s published pages: pricing and service areas, seen 29.10.2026. One Orléans and Beacon Hill firm: services and estimate tool and terms and conditions v1.5, seen 29.10.2026. HomeStars, Snow removal in Ottawa, cost section, seen 29.10.2026. City rules: Clearing snow from your property, When roads and sidewalks get plowed, Get help clearing snow, SNOW KNOWledge brochure, all seen 29.10.2026. Ontario, your rights when signing or cancelling a contract, seen 29.10.2026. Area facts: Wikipedia pages on Gloucester, Blossom Park, Beacon Hill, Blackburn Hamlet and Findlay Creek, read 29.10.2026.
A former city that companies split by neighbourhood
Gloucester began as Township B in 1792 and joined Ottawa in 2001. It runs from Beacon Hill and Rothwell Heights in the north to Blossom Park, Leitrim and Findlay Creek in the south, with rural Gloucester covering 195 km² and about 11,125 people in 2021.
Snow companies rarely use the old name. One east-end firm covers Blackburn Hamlet, Pineview and Findlay Creek, and names Beacon Hill, Orléans and “Gloucester” among areas it does not serve. Another serves Orléans and Beacon Hill. Lead with neighbourhood and postal code.
Three generations of driveways
Blossom Park, 1950s. Bungalows went up on 150 x 100 foot lots along Kingsdale, Rosebella and Queensdale; Quail Ridge followed in the late 1970s. Wide lots leave room for snow beside the driveway, which matters because none of it may go onto the street.
Beacon Hill and Blackburn Hamlet, 1960s–70s. Beacon Hill is split by Montreal Road. Blackburn Hamlet’s first residents arrived in 1967, and it is surrounded by NCC Greenbelt land.
Newer streets. Leitrim and Findlay Creek grew from 1,333 people in 2006 to 14,089 in 2021, after a Leitrim Community Design Plan was started in November 2003. Riverside South has its own page. Rural lanes in the south are longer and often gravel: see gravel driveways.
Montreal Road, Innes Road and Bank Street
The City clears major roads and arterials from the start of a snowfall. Residential roads wait for 7 cm and may take 10 to 16 hours after the last flake. Each pass can leave a ridge at the driveway, and the City makes removing it the owner’s job.
A house on Montreal Road, Ogilvie Road, Innes Road through Blackburn Hamlet, or Bank Street through Blossom Park and Findlay Creek may fall under a main-street rule that a crescent behind it does not, so ask each company how it classes your street. One Orléans and Beacon Hill firm adds $100 a season for busy main streets, and its ridge-only plan, triggered at 7 cm after the plows, is closed to main streets, bus routes and sidewalk-plow streets. More: windrow clearing.
Two east-end price lists, line by line
| Firm A (Blackburn Hamlet, Pineview, Findlay Creek) | Firm B (Orléans, Beacon Hill) | |
|---|---|---|
| Single / double / triple | $649 / $749 / $849 | $530 / $580 / $605 |
| Trigger | 5 cm; 2.5 cm costs more | 5 cm in 24 hours, Environment Canada |
| Season limit | 250 cm, then $45–$65 a visit | 250 cm or 22 events at the airport, then $30 a clearing |
| Walk and steps | $199 walk, $99 steps | Walk from $283.25 |
| Salt | Driveway free; walks $25 a time | $65 an application |
All plus HST. Firm B adds a one-time $15 fuel surcharge if diesel stays above $2.20 a litre most of the winter, and wants damage reported by 15 May. HomeStars puts Ottawa season contracts at $300 to $1,800+.
The City’s rules on your lot
By-law 2003-498 bars placing snow on streets, sidewalks, pathways and parks. Markers may stand from 20 October to 30 April, two at most, 5 feet from the sidewalk or 7 feet from the road edge.
A company clearing with a vehicle needs the City’s snow plow contractor licence: ask for proof, check ottawa.ca/consumerawareness, and look for the orange plate with a valid annual sticker. The City’s brochure sets a $2 million minimum insurance for these contractors. Anyone using hand-held shovels or equipment that needs no vehicle is exempt.
Getting the agreement right
In Ontario, a contract over $50 should be in writing. Check that it names your street type, driveway size, trigger depth and where it is measured, the season limit and price past it, how soon the crew returns after the plow, extra charges, and the damage reporting date. For the City’s subsidy, see snow help for seniors.
Who you are dealing with
Ottawa Snow Desk sends your Gloucester request to one independent snow clearing company that works the east and south end. That company calls you back, sets the season price with you and clears the snow all winter.
Questions to ask the company
- Is my street inside your area?
- Is my street priced as a main street, and what does that add?
- After the City plow leaves a ridge, when do you come back, and is it in the season price?
- Where is snowfall measured for the trigger and the season cap, and what does a visit cost past the cap?
- Can I see your City snow plow contractor licence and the orange plate with this year's sticker?
Have this ready for the call
- Neighbourhood and postal code
- Nearest main road, and whether buses run on your street
- Driveway size in cars, and whether it is attached to a neighbour's
- A photo from the street showing the curb, lawn edges, steps and garden beds
- The walk and steps, if they are part of the job
Questions people ask
Why does the company ask for my neighbourhood when I wrote Gloucester?
Firms draw their areas by neighbourhood. One covers Blackburn Hamlet, Pineview and Findlay Creek but lists Beacon Hill and “Gloucester” as areas it does not serve. The neighbourhood and postal code show at once if your street is on a company’s list.
My house is on Montreal Road. Will it cost more?
It can. City plows work major roads and arterials from the start of a snowfall, so ridges can come back more often. One Orléans and Beacon Hill firm adds $100 + HST a season for busy main streets.
Who clears the ridge the City plow leaves at my driveway?
The City makes the property owner responsible for the windrow, and its by-law bars pushing that snow back onto the street or sidewalk. One Beacon Hill firm’s terms promise windrow removal promptly after the City pass but allow for delays from City schedules; ask how soon and whether it is in the season price.
Which Snow Go agency serves Gloucester?
The City lists the Eastern Ottawa Resource Centre for eastern Ottawa including Cumberland and Gloucester, with postal codes such as K1B (part), K1C, K1J, K1T and K1W. The South-East Ottawa Community Health Centre covers Industrial Avenue to Hunt Club Road, between St. Laurent Boulevard and Bank Street.
How much can Snow Go Assist pay?
Up to 50 per cent of the cost per event, to $250 a season, or $450 for a rural home with an excessively high cost. It is for adults aged 60 or older or people with a disability, under the City’s income limits. The 2026/2027 deadline is Friday, 27 November 2026.
