The Town of Perth, Ontario, says its winter road maintenance will stay on track despite a province-wide road salt shortage. In a statement posted by Perth Public Works on Feb. 4, 2026, the department said current stockpiles — together with favourable short-term weather forecasts — mean it expects to maintain normal plowing and salting operations on municipal streets.
Municipalities across Ontario have been struggling to secure enough salt after heavy early-season demand and supply-chain bottlenecks at the Goderich mine. Lanark County has already said it will reduce salt use and rely more on sand-grit mixes to conserve limited supplies (Lanark County announced scaled-back salt use in late January). Perth, by contrast, says its early procurement and storage strategy has left it in a stable position for now.
A local news report from late January documented long lines of delivery trucks at the Goderich mine as demand outstripped how quickly product could be loaded and shipped. The provincial shortage has been linked by industry reports to an unusually early and severe winter and to supply-chain constraints at major producers. Perth Public Works says those factors did not prevent the town from securing inventories this season and that crews will continue standard routes while monitoring conditions.
Landscape Ontario has been tracking salt-supply challenges and warned in February 2025 that smaller towns are often disproportionately affected when suppliers prioritize large contracts. Perth officials say they will keep a close eye on inventory levels and weather forecasts and may adjust winter maintenance practices if supply conditions deteriorate.
