MONTREAL – After a 36-hour mandatory break, snow-removal crews were back at work Saturday morning.
The city’s been hard at work since Tuesday’s storm that brought 39.2 centimeters of snow to the streets of Montreal.
Blue collar workers took New Year’s off, but as of 7 a.m. Saturday morning, holiday time was over for them.
Sean Aitken, a snow-removal signaller, told Global News that “some people get aggravated during this time of year, but otherwise, the people of Montreal have been respecting us, helping us to get the job done.”
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Some 3,000 workers and 2,200 machines have hit the streets of Montreal.
Aitken explained that drivers have to be careful when driving near the machines because “there are a lot of blind spots around the heavy equipment.”
Hospital entrances, reserved bus lanes and major arteries are the first spots to be cleared.
Residents can download the Info Neige, App to find out about the progress of snow-clearing operations and learn about where and when you can park on the street.
Approximately 35 to 40 per cent of the removal is expected to be done by Saturday night, but the City announced that the complete job will only be finished by Jan. 6.
READ MORE: Montreal’s first snowstorm too much for one snowplow to handle
Some Montrealers say that’s too long and have taken matters into their own hands.
“They have their job and I have my own job,” Ethel Tugna said. She’s been shovelling her driveway every day since the storm.
While some blame the city, others blame the environment.
“Climate change. Climate change.That’s all I can say,” NDG resident, Jericho Paragas, added.
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