Snow removal in Montreal: what really happens at night while you sleep

A shadow army facing criticism

Admit it, we’ve all complained when we’ve seen our street still covered in snow in the early morning. But do you have any idea what’s really going on outside while the city sleeps? In Montreal, nearly 3,000 employees are busy clearing the snow. And let’s be clear: they have a heavy heart.

Anchor Patrice Roy spent a night with them, and the conclusion is clear: the impatience of citizens weighs heavily. Marie-Claude Gagnon, a team leader with the city for over 25 years, does not hide her bitterness. For her, who started in 1999 and loves her job, hearing the constant criticism is simply « upsetting. » It has become so burdensome that she even admits to being embarrassed, at times, to say that she is a blue-collar worker. Yet, as she points out, everyone here takes their work to heart. But good intentions are not always enough when faced with the reality on the ground. Why is it taking so long? (Hint: it might be us.)

So what’s the hold-up? Marie-Claude Gagnon puts her foot down: we Montrealers are often the first obstacle. It’s a classic example: we look out the window, see the flashing lights approaching, and only then decide to get dressed to move the car. The result? The entire chain of operations comes to a standstill.

The numbers are staggering. Steve Tremblay, a tow truck driver, explains that he has to move between 15 and 20 cars per night. Each time, there is a delay of 5 to 10 minutes. Do the math for one night, and it’s huge. In fact, during the first loading operation, an average of 91 vehicles were towed every hour in the area. Without the cooperation of citizens, productivity takes a hit. And that’s not all. There’s also the slalom between poorly placed garbage cans and recycling bins that have to be bypassed or moved by hand. Even more delicate are the camps of homeless people. Teams must be extra cautious, as these makeshift shelters are often heated with candles, creating a real risk of accident.

When mechanics and weather get in the way

While humans complicate the task, the equipment itself is showing worrying signs of wear and tear. Of the 1,285 pieces of equipment in the snow removal fleet, 300 are in poor condition. That’s almost a quarter of the machines that, as the expression goes, « fall in battle. » In the field, Patrice Roy met Francis, a mechanic forced to repair a machine right on the street in the cold. Why? Because the machine is too heavy to be towed to the garage. Francis is clear-headed: these machines exert enormous force to move tons of snow and ice, so breakdowns are inevitable. Add to that climate change. Freeze-thaw cycles, rain followed by a sudden drop in temperature… all this creates ice as hard as concrete, which damages the machinery. Despite everything, Daniel Paquet, a tractor-loader operator with nearly 38 years of experience, remains philosophical. For him, things are still better today: there are more operators and more equipment than when he started out.

The mayor’s admission: « There is a major problem. »

Faced with this observation, the political reaction was swift. In an interview with Téléjournal, Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada was candid: yes, there is a major equipment problem. She confirmed that 25% of the necessary equipment is missing. The examples she gave were chilling: in Montreal North, the four salt spreaders are out of service. The same is true for the vehicles used to fill potholes: out of four, only two are working.

« We can’t provide services with equipment that doesn’t exist, » she lamented, pointing to a lack of maintenance and reliability. But she didn’t fail to pass the buck, blaming Valérie Plante’s previous administration for a lack of substantial investment in the boroughs.

Her immediate goal? To get through this winter as best she can. The mayor promises that the situation will be rectified by next year. In the meantime, as Marie-Claude Gagnon suggests on the ground, improvement will come from a collective effort: leaders who listen and, perhaps, citizens who are a little quicker to move their cars.

According to the source: ici.radio-canada.ca Created by humans, assisted by AI.