Montreal promises to get snow cleared by Tuesday morning

MONTREAL – Ten days after a winter storm dumped 45 centimetres of snow on Montreal, the last of the snow will be cleared from city streets by Tuesday morning.

Only three of the city’s 19 boroughs, Verdun, LaSalle and St. Laurent, still had snow to remove, said city spokesperson Jacques-Alain Lavallée.

Despite the complaints of numerous residents who say the city’s snow-clearing efforts were too slow, Lavallée said the city is proud of the work of its employees and private contractors.

On many streets in boroughs such as Côte des Neiges-Notre Dame de Grâce and Rosemont, it took the snow-removal crews one week to clear one side of the street.

This meant sidewalks were impassable and many elderly or handicapped taxpayers were trapped in their homes throughout the holiday period.

Lavallée defended the city’s work, saying that 45 centimetres of snow in one day created “exceptional circumstances.

“Once we have completed the (snow-removal) operation there will be talks with the borough as to future procedures and if there is room for improvement, there will be improvement,” he said.

“We want to thank the public for their patience.”

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