Montreal snow-removal operation: 70 per cent complete, Mayor says progress on track

The snow removal effort on Tuesday afternoon was 70 per cent complete and is expected to take at least until March 2. Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante confirmed the progress of operations is on track during a press conference on Monday.

“We were together on Friday talking about it would be March 2nd. So we’re sticking to that date,” said Plante, about the snow removal. “If it goes faster, we’ll tell you. We feel like we need to keep this this kind of objective. But that being said, it also depends on the weather. Right now, it’s great because it’s milder. So it’s even better […] But if it freezes, of course, the snow becomes harder. So it takes longer if there is more snow, which I have to say, I’m kind of hoping there will not be any more snow for a little while. But hey, I don’t have a direct connection with Mother Nature – so crossing my finger.”

Each part of the city is making progress in snow clearing: L’Île-Bizard–Sainte-Geneviève has 69 per cent of its snow removal completed; Pierrefonds–Roxboro at 84 per cent; Lachine at 85 per cent; Saint-Léonard at 75 per cent; and Anjou at 79 per cent.

Some areas taking a little more time: Ahuntsic-Cartierville is at 55 per cent, Côte-des-Neiges–NDG is at 64 per cent, and Ville-Marie is at 64 per cent.

However, hundreds of streets like Oxford Ave. in NDG still remain a hazard and a safety risk for citizens, with snow narrowing streets, making it difficult for emergency services to get through.

“Among certain challenges that we face, obviously it’s the streets themselves, given the size of our fire trucks. If the streets are already narrow to begin with, with the snow that’s fallen and been pushed to the sides, and obviously people trying to park their cars sometimes at a 45-degree angle, there is some challenge in certain areas and streets for us to get through with the trucks,” said Guy LaPointe, division chief with the Montreal Fire Department.

Parking and towing in Montreal

As the conditions of Montreal roads have made it difficult to park due to the historic snowfall, the Agence de mobilité durable  says they are currently showing tolerance for bans on parking reserved for residents (vignettes) and on-street paid parking spaces (parking meters).

“These measures are exceptional and are aimed at returning traffic to normal as quickly and safely as possible,” said Marilou Denault, communications and public affairs for the city of Montreal.

“However, the tolerance shown by our officers concerns these two types of offence, not all offences,” said Denault.  “The municipal by-law on traffic and parking stipulates that a road vehicle may only be parked obliquely when required by signs. Indeed, as well as running the risk of being hit, cars parked at an angle can obstruct the passage of emergency vehicles.”

Surveillance activities are being prioritized to facilitate ongoing snow removal operations, to ensure that parked vehicles do not obstruct the passage of snow ploughs and loading trucks.

“It is therefore important to be on the lookout for special signage and to move your car before the snow clearance teams pass by,” said Denault. “The Agency provides the public with 2,625 free parking spaces, where everyone is entitled to park their vehicles from 7 pm to 7 am.”

 People can consult the list of parking lots here.

“The Agency can have vehicles that do not comply with the special signage towed and issue fines to the owners of these vehicles, but we make every effort to avoid this happening,” said Denault.

The Agence de mobilité durable says a single tow slows down the loading convoy by about 10 minutes.

Vehicles are usually towed as close as possible to their original location. Their owners can find them at the Towing Info section on Montreal’s website.

The Agence de mobilité durable says the following measures are being taken to quickly inform residents to move their cars and avoid vehicles being towed away:

• Special signage is generally put up 12 to 14 hours in advance, giving people living in the areas concerned a chance to move their vehicles before the crews pass by.
• The towing attendant and the towing vehicle will criss-cross the streets, sounding their sirens often and repeatedly, to warn people who may have forgotten to move their cars.
• People can download the INFO-Neige MTL application, available on the App Store and Google Play. It keeps people informed in real time of snow clearance operations in the city and sends them notifications to let them know when crews are passing their street.

Between Feb. 14 to 24 this year, 905 cars have been fined without towing and 5,754 cars have been fined with towing.

In the last three years the total amount of towing operations for snow removal or other violations has been 46,424 in 2022, 43,439 in 2023 and 32,967 in 2024. This year as of Feb. 23 the total is at 25,484.

Waste collection resumes

Garbage pickup and recycling collection resumed on Monday after being suspended on Feb. 17 to help with snow-clearing.

“I announced it on Friday, that it would start again this morning, but respect the schedules,” said Plante. “Over the weekend, I walked around and saw a lot of garbage bags lying around in the snow strips. That slows down operations, so look at the schedules.”

Spokesperson for the City of Montreal, Philippe Sabourin, says it’s not a race, but a marathon when it comes to snow removal progress.

“What we’re doing isn’t a 100-metre race, it’s a marathon,” said Sabourin. “Safety first.”

“I think we’re doing great,” concluded Plante. “Montrealers, thank you for your patience. We don’t give up. The blue collars, our workers, private companies, and emergency services, among other things, we don’t give up. And a big thank you for your efforts.”

Weather forecast for the week ahead

Today, expect cloudy skies with a 30 per cent chance of showers this morning, followed by a few more showers around noon. The temperature will remain steady around 4°C.

Tonight, the clouds will persist with a 40 per cent chance of showers this evening. Fog patches are also expected, with temperatures dropping to a low of 2°C.

Looking ahead to Wednesday, there will be a mix of sun and cloud. A 30 per cent chance of light flurries or rain showers will occur in the morning, with fog patches clearing up by midday. The evening will bring clear skies with a low of minus 6°C.

Thursday will see snow throughout the day with a high of 1°C. Periods of snow will continue overnight, and temperatures will dip to a low of minus 2°C.

On Friday, expect more snow with temperatures staying near minus 5°C. The snow will persist overnight, with lows reaching minus 11°C.

Saturday will bring continued snow with a high of minus 6°C, followed by cloudy periods and a low of minus 16°C at night.

Sunday will be sunny with a high of minus 7°C and a clear night, with temperatures again dropping to minus 16°C.

The forecast for Monday looks sunny, with a high of minus 4°C.