Public Works Department

• Visit the Selwyn Township Garbage & Recycling page

• Visit the Selwyn Township Landfill Site page

If your 911 sign, also known as your civic address sign, is damaged or stolen, please contact the Public Works Department at 705-292-9507 or by emailing publicworks@selwyntownship.ca.

Please have the following information ready:

1. The civic address number and street location,
2. Whether or not the post needs to be replaced,
3. Contact information, in case we need to get a hold of you.

There is a $100.00 fee to replace and install damaged 911 signs.

We encourage you to have your sign replaced immediately as it is used by first responders in cases of emergency.

A Culvert is a tunnel located at the end of driveways (road allowances) and across some roads to carry water from one area to another keeping it off roads and off properties.

Property owners can ensure their culvert is draining properly by:

• Clearing leaves and debris from the entrance to the culvert to ensure proper flow and drainage;
• Not adding any decorative stones, plants, or shrubs around the area to prevent the same.

For culvert pricing and availability, please contact the Selwyn Township Public Works Department at 705-292-9507 or email publicworks@selwyntownship.ca. 

If you notice that a street light or public area light is out, please contact the Public Works Department at 705-292-9507.

The Public Works Department sweeps over 300 km of Township roads as soon as the frost is out of the ground to free our roads of excess sand from the winter sanding. 

The amount of snow and frost will determine the start date for road sweeping.

The schedule for sweeping rotates every year, cycling between various areas of the municipality (ie. the first area swept one year may be the last area swept the following year). Areas are grouped in the following sections: Ennismore, Smith South, Smith North and Lakefield.

The 2023 street sweeping rotation follows this order: Bridgenorth, South Smith and North Smith; Lakefield and Ennismore. Please have patience & refrain from parking on the streets to improve the process.

Road Surface Treatment

The surface treatment consists of spraying an asphalt emulsion on the road followed by spreading an aggregate over the emulsion and compacting the aggregate to press it into the emulsion. 

In warmer weather the traffic continues to drive over the surface, further pressing the aggregate into the emulsion, helping the process and creating a consistent surface. This process can be dusty until the fines wash off the stone with some rainfall. As the temperature drops (and the emulsion has set) we will start to work on sweeping the extra material from the roads that were treated.

“Washboarding”, caused by excess aggregate, is normal and eliminated when swept up and removed. 

Winter Parking

To assist in snow-clearing operations, refrain from parking on Township roads overnight to allow for safe and effective snow clearing during the winter months (ie. no overnight parking is permitted on Township roads during winter months).

Rural Mailboxes

The proper placement and maintenance of rural mailboxes ensures continued safe delivery of mail by Canada Post. Please consult with your local post office to ensure that all mailbox specifications and road safety criteria are met before installing a rural box.

• Rural Mail Box Guidelines

Weed Inspection is the responsibility of Peterborough County's Planning and Public Works, Operations Division. Peterborough County's Weed Inspector provides interpretation and administration of the Weed Control Act. They investigate reports of noxious weeds on a right of way within the County or on agricultural land.

Peterborough County is only responsible for spraying a noxious weed within the road allowance. Any noxious weed on private property is to be maintained by the property owner. 

To report sightings of noxious weeds, please notify the Peterborough County Public Works Department by filling out the County's Report an Issue form.

The use of pesticides is regulated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. If you have questions related to pesticide use, please contact them at 1-800-565-4923 or click pesticide use.

• For information on construction projects taking place on Peterborough County maintained roads, visit the Peterborough County Notices of Construction page. 

• Public Works Department - 705-292-9507 ext. 236
• Public Works (After Hours) Emergencies Only - 705-926-0205