Posted by: Sandy Garland and Mary Johnston
You know the issue. Salt is toxic to the environment and corrosive to roads and cars. But compared with alternatives, it’s cheap. So, every year we end up with too much salt, piles of it in some places. And it all washes into our rivers.
We have proof. In 2021, the Ottawa Riverkeeper reported chlorine levels in Ottawa creeks “well above levels that are considered safe for freshwater life.” According to an article published on January 31, 2025, in the Ottawa Citizen by Alexa MacKie and Ken Warren: “Ottawa’s road salt use is the highest in Canada.”
Note that the recommended application rate is about 2 tablespoons per square metre or a coffee mug of salt for a driveway. Salt is only effective down to minus 12°C. Salt works to prevent ice buildup through a chemical reaction. Don’t use it like grit.
The City also knows the issues. So why do we still see piles of salt on sidewalks and roadways? Let’s find out and do something about it.
If you see any such accumulations of salt, please take a photo and send it to Mary Johnston at envirocrewoos@gmail.com (put salt in the subject line). The photo must include details to identify the location of the excess salt. We want to hear about these incidents and we want evidence. We’re hoping to use this information to demand better handling practices by City contractors – and better use of our tax dollars. This is one environmental harm we can do something to stop.
On your own property, use sand or grit rather than any salt at all. Make walking safe, but don’t damage the environment in the process.
For more information about the Ottawa Riverkeeper’s study, see their article “5 Years of Road Salt Monitoring in the National Capital Region.”
Sandy Garland and Mary Johnston are members of OSCA’s Environment and Climate Action Committee (a.k.a. the Enviro Crew).
Featured in the January 2026 OSCAR.