Area municipalities dealing with road salt shortage

Area municipalities have been kept busy this winter clearing roads after higher-than-normal snowfalls, and they’ve had to do it with a shortage of road salt as a Goderich mine struggles to keep up with demand. (Oxford County Photo)

Lee Griffi, Editor

Oxford County municipalities continue to face high demand for the critical product, which remains in short supply.

Ontario is experiencing a province-wide road salt shortage during the 2025-26 winter season, which is affecting how municipalities, contractors, and residents manage winter road maintenance.

The province saw an unusually early start to winter with frequent snow events and prolonged cold periods, which have pushed supplies much faster than expected. Municipalities say they’ve already used far more salt than in a typical season by January. Road salt inventories were already low after heavy use in the 2024-25 season, leaving less on hand going into this winter.

Oxford County’s Transportation, Frank Gross, said he first became aware of the issue when salt deliveries weren’t being made on schedule and media reports surfaced.

“We did follow up with the supplier to get an official response, and they said the issue wasn’t with the supply at the actual source (in Goderich), but more about a trucking issue of getting the material out to customers,” he explained.

“They can only load so many trucks a day, so that was the bottleneck, the shipping of the salt.”

Compass transports the salt as per the contract with Oxford, but Gross said the county offered to send its own trucks to expedite the process.

“We were told no, we would be in line with everybody else, so it was a matter of how many trucks they could load in a day.”

Some media reports from the area show about 100 trucks lined up to receive salt for delivery to destinations across the province. Gross said he also asked Windsor Salt and Cargill, which brings in salt from the United States, if either could fill the void, but the answer was no.

Gross said county staff have been doing a solid job keeping up with the snow and have been working long hours as a result. He added there is a difference in utilizing sand versus salt on area roadways.

“Salt has melting properties, so it tends to create a layer of water between the road and the snow, making it easier for the road to clear off when it's plowed, and it can be brought down to bare pavement. Sand is an abrasive and provides traction. It does prevent the snow from becoming hard-packed and still allows the plow to clear it off, but it doesn’t clear off as well.”

The Town of Ingersoll took to social media recently to inform residents of its challenges.

“We know this winter has been challenging, and we recognize there is still plenty of season ahead of us. We understand the frustration many of you are feeling, and your concerns are valid, especially given the relentless conditions,” it stated, adding there is currently a province-wide salt shortage.

“While the town stocked up early, supply remains limited. Additionally, extreme cold significantly reduces the effectiveness of road salt.”

The town said it is reducing salt use where possible, relying more on sand and sand-salt mixtures to provide essential traction.

The Goderich mine is owned by American-owned Compass Minerals who would not agree to an interview but did provide a statement.

“With the significant impact of winter weather compared to recent seasons, the entire road salt supply chain continues to experience high demand for de-icing salt. At Compass Minerals, we are actively working to fulfill all current orders, prioritizing shipments for our municipal clients.”

They added production is increasing and they are working hard to meet the increased demand.

“We are focused on moving product as efficiently as possible, while also maximizing daily output from our Goderich mine to ensure optimal, full-season inventory availability across our network. We remain committed to serving all our valued customers in Ontario and all markets that we serve.”

The City of Woodstock has not been affected by the shortage this winter as its ordering and stocking practices have maintained a consistent supply of salt.

Jeff Molenhuis, our Director of Public Works, said they may have been better prepared for the situation.

“Woodstock orders salt at the beginning of October that will carry us through most of the winter, and we restock as needed throughout the season. We also have a stockpile that remains from the winter that we keep on hand throughout the summer for any early fall events.

He added while the city hasn’t been affected by the shortage, salt is less effective at colder temperatures.

“We will switch to a pre-treated salt that works at colder temperatures. We also use sand mixed with salt to treat the roads and prevent them from becoming slippery.”

Woodstock uses salt as much as it can to clear roads from snow and ice buildup.

“If and when we get a heavier winter such as this one, streets that don’t get heavy traffic will end up snow-packed, and we use sand to provide traction for cars,” added Molenhuis.