You asked, we answered

​Service Vaughan answers the top five resident questions received in November

Have a question about a service in Vaughan? Want to know more about the City of Vaughan’s programs? Service Vaughan is standing by with Citizen Service Representatives ready to respond to your inquiries. The City’s contact centre can be reached by phone at 905-832-2281 (toll-free: 1-844-832-2112), email at service@vaughan.ca or in-person at Vaughan City Hall (2141 Major Mackenzie Dr.). 

Every month, the City releases common questions received and responded to by Service Vaughan in a series called ‘You Asked, We Answered.’ Below are the top five inquiries from November: 

1. How do I register for winter recreation programs? 

The City offers programs for all ages, interests and abilities at community centres (except for Garnet A. Williams while it remains closed for renovations until 2023), the City Playhouse Theatre and the new Vaughan Studios & Event Space. Registration for winter recreation programs, swim lessons and aquatic leadership courses is open at vaughan.perfectmind.com. 

The online registration system is available 24/7 and features enhanced search filters, allowing you to sort by level, location, day and time. Programming begins Saturday, Jan. 14. 

The Winter Recreation eGuide features direct links to online registration, and can be viewed at vaughan.ca/recreation. Swim lessons and aquatic leadership program schedules are also available online at vaughan.perfectmind.com. 

For more information, or if you require assistance registering, call Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281, email RecCSD@vaughan.ca, or visit your local community centre. Watch the City’s tutorial videos on the recvaughan YouTube channel to find out more about our online registration system. 

2. What are my responsibilities as a homeowner or renter during the winter? 

While the City handles salting, windrow clearing, plowing and snow removal along more than 2,200 lane-kilometres of roads and 1,200 kilometres of sidewalks throughout Vaughan, there are a number of ways you can help ensure the City’s winter operations run smoothly, efficiently and safely: 

• Keep cars off the street while snowplows are out to help the City ensure streets are cleared properly and safely. On-street parking is not permitted between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. in Vaughan. As outlined in the City’s Parking By-law 064-2019 (PDF), on-street parking that interferes with snow-clearing operations is prohibited. Vehicles found in violation may be subject to a $75 fine or towed at the owner’s expense.
• Clear snow and ice from sidewalks bordering your property to help ensure roads and sidewalks remain safe, as stated in the City’s Snow Clearing By-law 227-2022 (PDF).
• Set waste bins back from the curb approximately one metre on the right-hand side of your driveway, where possible (when facing the home). They should never be placed on top of or behind snowbanks.
• Keep fire hydrants clear and accessible (one metre all around). Blocked, concealed or difficult-to-access fire hydrants can impede emergency fire response.
• Help keep catch basins and culverts clear of snow and debris to help prevent potential flooding during temperature fluctuations, if it’s safe to do so.
• Remove anything that may interfere with or be hazardous to plow crews. This includes landscaping features, such as fencing, basketball nets, decorative stones, pots, bird baths, furniture and more, as stated in the City’s Encroachment By-law 034-2017 (PDF). No such items should be within 30 centimetres of a sidewalk or within one metre of a street curb.
• Be mindful of where shoveled snow is placed. It is illegal to shovel snow or ice onto the road under both the Ontario Highway Traffic Act and the City’s Dumping By-law 103-2020 (PDF).
• Clean snow off all vehicle surfaces before driving and keep a safe distance from snowplows and salting equipment.    

For more information on the City’s winter operations, visit vaughan.ca/snow.  

3. Where do I report garbage or litter in parks and other public spaces? 

Keeping Vaughan’s parks and trails clean is a team effort. For the safety and well-being of everyone in the community, littering and dumping are prohibited under the Dumping By-law 103-2020 (PDF). Individuals found dumping their household garbage are subject to a maximum fine of $5,000 per offence. If you witness illegal dumping or littering, please report it to Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or service@vaughan.ca. You can also report litter online via Service Vaughan – get started at vaughan.ca/ServiceVaughan. 

4. Is street parking allowed in Vaughan? 

By-laws are put in place to ensure a safe and orderly community for all who live, work and play in Vaughan. On-street parking is allowed on any street for up to three hours without a permit between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. – unless otherwise signed by or prohibited by the Parking By-law 064-2019 (PDF). On-street parking is not allowed between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., unless the vehicle has a valid permit for that date, time and location. 

During the winter season, you are reminded to keep cars off the street while snowplows are out to help the City ensure streets are cleared properly and safely. As outlined in the City’s Parking By-law 064-2019 (PDF), on-street parking that interferes with snow-clearing operations is prohibited. Vehicles found in violation may be subject to a $75 fine or towed at the owner’s expense. 

The by-law is enforced 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year long. Enforcement officers patrol the city issuing tickets for parking violations. Parking regulations may also be enforced by York Regional Police. 

Parking permit applications are available online at any time. Permits are electronic and do not need to be printed or displayed. Permits are non-transferable between licence plate numbers. Unused permit dates cannot be cancelled and reissued at a later time if the dates have already passed. 

For more information about parking in Vaughan, visit vaughan.ca/parking. 

5. Where can I access my tax account information and how do I pay my taxes without coming to City Hall? 

There are many ways to pay your property tax bill:

• Financial institutions: Either in-person, through the bank machine, online or via telephone.
• Pre-authorized payment plans: Sign up for one of the City’s pre-authorized payment plans, which offer options for either an instalment due date plan or monthly instalment.
• Mailed: Cheque made payable to the City of Vaughan and mailed to City Hall (2141 Major Mackenzie Dr.)
• Post-dated cheques: Cheques that correspond with the amounts and due dates printed on the tax stubs.  

If you would like to change or update the ownership on your tax account, the property owner must submit a request in writing through email, drop-box or mail. For more information, contact the tax office through Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or email service@vaughan.ca. If you would like to change your banking information on file, fill out the Pre-Authorized Payment Change of Banking Information Form (PDF). This form must be completed and received by the City’s Tax department at least 15 days before the next withdrawal date to take effect.  

For more information about Vaughan property taxes and the available payment options, visit vaughan.ca/PropertyTax.  

For more information about City matters, call Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or visit vaughan.ca. 

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