When to shut off outdoor taps
Outdoor taps should be shut off and drained before the first hard freeze, typically October in most of Canada and September in the north; reopen after the last spring frost. Set your place for your exact dates.
Shut-off and reopen reminders, every year.
Why a hard freeze ends the hose season
Water left in an outdoor faucet or the pipe behind it can freeze and expand, splitting the pipe inside the wall. A burst hose bib is one of the most common and most avoidable home insurance claims in Canada.
The dates above are based on your station's average first fall frost and last spring frost. Shut off and drain before the first frost; wait about a week after the last frost to reopen.
Shut-off and reopen dates for major cities
| City | Shut off by | Reopen after | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria | BC | November 5 | April 7 |
| Vancouver | BC | November 10 | March 18 |
| Kelowna | BC | September 28 | May 10 |
| Calgary | AB | September 16 | May 21 |
| Edmonton | AB | September 12 | May 24 |
| Saskatoon Diefenbaker | SK | September 15 | May 21 |
| Regina | SK | September 12 | May 20 |
| Winnipeg Richardson | MB | September 22 | May 23 |
| Sudbury | ON | October 1 | May 17 |
| Ottawa Cda | ON | October 6 | April 30 |
| Toronto Lester B. Pearson | ON | October 16 | April 30 |
| Windsor | ON | October 30 | April 17 |
| Montreal/Pierre Elliott Trudeau | QC | October 12 | April 29 |
| Quebec/Jean Lesage | QC | October 4 | May 11 |
| Fredericton | NB | September 25 | May 17 |
| Halifax Stanfield | NS | October 18 | May 7 |
| Charlottetown | PE | October 17 | May 16 |
| Whitehorse | YT | August 25 | June 5 |
| Yellowknife | NT | September 18 | May 25 |
Questions, answered plainly
When should outdoor taps be shut off for winter?
Before the first hard freeze, which the Almanac estimates from your station's average first fall frost. In most of Canada that is October; in the north it can be September.
Do I need to drain the line or just close the valve?
Close the indoor shutoff valve if you have one, then open the outdoor tap to drain any remaining water. Trapped water expands when it freezes and can split the pipe inside the wall, where the leak may not show until spring.
When can outdoor taps be turned back on?
After the last hard frost has passed, typically about a week after your average last spring frost. Opening too early risks a late freeze; waiting a week is a safe margin for most regions.
How this page was made
Data source: Environment and Climate Change Canada 30-year climate normals via the site dataset. Method: shut-off date is the average first fall frost; reopen date is one week after the average last spring frost. Verified 2026-06-12. Full notes on the methodology page.
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