Winter driving and tires in Ontario
Original AutoMart Canada notes for shoppers in Ontario. Rates and programs change — confirm with a dealer, insurer, or the provincial government before you buy.
Winter tires are not legally required province-wide, but they are standard in the GTA, Ottawa, and the North from November through April. Some insurers discount them.
Southern Ontario is mixed rain and snow with heavy road salt. Northern Ontario is a true winter climate.
AWD is not a substitute for winter tires. It helps you leave a light. Tires are what let you stop. Quebec is the only province with a date-based legal requirement; everywhere else it is still the right spec for ice.
Look at ground clearance, block-heater or scheduled cabin preconditioning on EVs, and whether the spare is a real tire or an inflator kit before you take a northern highway.
City hubs in Ontario on this site include Ajax, Aurora, Barrie, Belleville, Bracebridge, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Brampton and Brantford and 73 more. Open the Ontario city list or the Canada map.