It’s the famous day after the storm, when the snow has stopped falling but huge piles of it remain on the ground. Normally busy streets are quiet and the city feels like a giant playground of sorts. Here on Park Avenue, whose three lanes of traffic have been narrowed by the snow to just two, tow trucks are driving by blaring their horns, warning people to move their cars off the street. Soon, the elaborate ritual of snow removal will begin.
Two years ago, Frank Hashimoto, a transplanted Chicagoan whose blog is appropriately titled Chicagoan in Montreal, wrote a memorable post explaining in detail the process of removing snow in Montreal. Some people will always complain, but it’s really a marvel of efficiency, especially when you consider the glacial pace with which other things get done in this town.
Snow clearance costs Montreal nearly $300 million annually; in fact, this storm alone will cost taxpayers $17 million. A virtual army of 3,000 workers and 2,000 trucks, plows and graders are being put to work. When you consider the effort involved in getting rid of all of our snow, it’s easy to see why it costs so much.
Photos by Frank Hashimoto
One comment
After seeing people dig out their cars from total snowbank submergence, I must add one more reason to not own a car in Montreal: shoveling!