Essex County Ice Storm Branch Cleanup in Lakeshore and Essex

Lakeshore Winter Storm Clean-up

The Municipality of Lakeshore will commence pickup services to assist residents cleaning up tree branches and limbs downed by the recent storm. Pickup services will occur between Saturday, March 4 and Friday, March 10. All branches to be picked up must be placed at the curb by the end of the day on Friday, March 3.

Downed branches and limbs are to be placed at the curbside in a safe manner. Branches will be processed through a woodchipper by municipal staff and contractors. Residents are asked to leave branches and limbs unbundled (no strings or wire) and manageable for ease of access.

The following areas are being offered this service:

• North of County Road 42 (from County Road 19 to County Road 22, to the east limit of Belle River)
• Woodslee (north and south)
• Staples
• Ruscom
• St. Joachim
• Stoney Point/Pointe aux Roches
• Comber
• Lighthouse Cove
• Shoreline areas, along the north shore

Cleanup efforts apply only to downed branches, not to yard waste; yard waste will be left onsite. Residents are reminded to consult the Municipal Collection Calendar or the RecycleCoach app for yard waste collection details. Yard waste collection begins on April 22 in Area 1 and on April 29 in Areas 2 and 3.

Alternatively, residents can drop off limbs and branches at one of the Essex Windsor Solid Waste Authority drop off depots in Windsor, Kingsville, and Essex. Size restrictions apply. Residents wishing to burn limbs and branches are reminded to do so safely. For information on burn permits and fire safety, please visit Lakeshore Fire Department’s Open Burning webpage.

Essex Winter Storm Clean-up

As a result of damage caused by the major winter storm that occurred on February 22, 2023, many residents within the Town of Essex were left with fallen branches and power disruptions. Town Council and Administration says they would like to thank the many parties who worked diligently to take action and restore power to the municipality and ensure the safety of residents.

In addition to the efforts of the Town of Essex Public Works staff, Parks and Facilities staff and Essex Fire and Rescue services, over 300 staff members from regional agencies across Southwester Ontario stepped in to assist E.L.K. Energy and Hydro One crews restore power.

“We would like to thank E.L.K. Energy, Hydro One, and the many regional organizations that deployed hundreds of staff members to assist our community during this unprecedented weather event.” said Sherry Bondy, Mayor. “I would also like to recognize our Public Works Team, Parks and Facilities Team, Essex Fire and Rescue Services, and Town Administration for taking quick action to manage storm operations. All parties worked tirelessly to restore power, clear debris, and ensure the safety of our community.”

Yard Waste Collection
A special yard waste pick-up for small to medium branches is currently underway. Due to the severity of the storm damage, it is estimated that the first collection will occur across all urban centres within the next three weeks. Following the initial collection, crews will revisit all urban centres to collect any remaining branches.

Residents who were impacted by the ice storm are asked to bundle tree branches in small bundles, 48 inches in length or less, and leave them near the roadside for pick-up. Please ensure that the debris is far enough from the roadway to not interfere with driveways, sidewalks, or winter control operations. Any debris on private property, from privately owned trees, with limbs that are too large to bring to the curb, will be the responsibility of the resident to have removed from their property.

“Given the extent of damage caused by the winter storm, there is a high volume of downed branches in the area. We ask residents to be patient as it will take time for our limited crew to service all locations.” said Sherry Bondy, Mayor.

In addition, downed branches can be dropped off at one of the EWSWA drop off depots. Size restrictions apply.

Branches/Stumps: (under 18″ in diameter, less than 48″ long) can be dropped off free of charge.
Branches/Stumps: (over 18″ in diameter, but less than 36″ long) can be dropped off but will be charged as garbage.

Parks
Town of Essex staff continue to clear hanging branches from local parks. Residents are asked to avoid obstructed areas and practice extreme caution when visiting local parks until all hazard branches are removed.