Whereas winter weather events significantly impact road safety, pedestrian mobility, and daily travel for residents across the City of Richmond Hill; and
Whereas timely, clear, and consistent communication regarding snow clearing and salting operations helps manage public expectations, reduce service inquiries, and improve overall public safety; and
Whereas many municipalities across the Greater Toronto Area, including Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Markham, Vaughan, and Newmarket, provide active and regular winter maintenance updates on their official Facebook pages during snow events; and
Whereas during the winter storm of January 14 and 15, 2026, the City of Richmond Hill posted nine weather-related updates over the two days on its X (formerly Twitter) account, while Facebook received only two weather-related posts; and
Whereas the City’s X account has approximately 13,400 followers, and the City’s Facebook page has approximately 12,000 followers, indicating similar audience reach across both platforms; and
Whereas on January 15, 2026, the City posted the same weather notice on both X and Facebook, with the post on X receiving approximately 598 views, while the identical post on Facebook received approximately 7,600 views, demonstrating significantly higher resident engagement on Facebook for this type of information;
Now Therefore Be It Resolved:
City staff be directed to provide regular winter maintenance updates, especially during significant weather events, on the City’s official Facebook page simultaneously with updates posted on X (formerly Twitter), including following overnight snowfalls and during active plowing and salting operations.