Montréal was shook today by its first snow-storm. Well, shook is as much an exaggeration as the word storm.
Canadians refer to a large deposit of snow as a storm. Storm in many peoples’ eyes gives the image of violence and extreme weather. Yet a standard Canadian snow storm is neither extreme nor violent. It’s soothing, transforming and can be fun.
Back to today’s storm. It passed off rather well for the first storm of the season. Many people chose to work from home, so the traffic wasn’t too bad. There were no major traffic perturbations unlike in 2008. A total of 20cm of snow has coated the city as of this moment.
Once the level of snow starts reaches 2.5cm (about an inch for those still in imperial units), city crews and contractors start sweeping the roads of the city to plough all of the snow to the side. Over the next four days, the accumulated snow will be removed and placed in snow dumps until it can melt.
Private home owners have three solutions:
- buy a tempo, an awning, to cover your driveway
- pay a contractor to clear your driveway
- do it yourself with shovels and a snow blower
Option 2 for many is the preferred way to go. The average cost is around $300 for the season, however some boroughs charge an additional tax so the cost can reach as much as $600. NDG is reputed for the high cost of snow removal.
A private contractor clearing driveways in a Montréal suburb
Whatever you choose, some shovelling will be in order – don’t over do it and try to do a little more often than leaving a lot to accumulate.
Enjoy the snow!
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