Montreal launches earlier, longer spring cleanup as city deploys more crews
Posted March 16, 2026 9:57 am.
Last Updated March 16, 2026 10:19 pm.
Spring weather may not yet have arrived in Montreal, but the city is already preparing to tackle the dirt and debris left behind by winter.
Municipal officials say this year’s spring cleanup will start earlier than usual and continue longer into the year, with more crews and equipment deployed across the city.
Cleanup brigades will be on the ground from March 16 through Dec. 13, about 25 per cent longer than in previous years.
Mechanical sweepers will begin operating Tuesday, with about 50 machines deployed across Montreal neighbourhoods — roughly double the number in service at the same time in 2025. Water trucks will also begin operating Tuesday, while sidewalk-washing equipment and vacuum units are expected to be fully deployed by April 1.
Officials say the earlier rollout will allow the city to accelerate cleanup operations as soon as weather conditions permit.
“As soon as the weather permits, we’re going to start cleaning the city,” said Luis Miranda, responsible for cleanliness & public services, city of Montreal’s executive committee. “It’s just a matter making sure that we focus on what we need to focus at the time being.”
Miranda said spring is a key moment for city operations.
“Spring is always a key time for our city’s cleanliness. This year, we are giving ourselves the resources to better support the transition to summer and the outdoor dining season. These efforts are being carried out in close collaboration with borough teams to give a joint boost to cleaning operations and support all the operations that intensify at this time of year. ”
Under the previous administration, standard cleanup brigades typically began work on April 1, while mobile crews supporting boroughs did not start until June.
City promises visible improvement in cleanliness
Officials say the expanded operation is part of a broader effort to improve cleanliness across the city.
Claude Pinard, president of the city’s executive committee and the official responsible for homelessness, said residents should notice a difference quickly.
“We promised Montrealers that we would give them back a clean city. In fact, that was one of the six major initiatives we wanted to tackle quickly. Today, we’re announcing that there have never been so many cleanup crews and pieces of equipment dedicated to this major cleanup so early in the year—and for such a long period. This is a major undertaking. Residents will see the difference very quickly. ”
Pinard also said the arrival of warmer temperatures tends to reveal litter that accumulated during winter.
“It’s really not clean, but I think if the citizens did their part, it would be wonderful” said Claude Pinard, responsible for homelessness & president, city of Montreal’s executive committee. “But I think if the citizens did their part, it would be wonderful. With spring on the way and temperature rising, we’re already seeing trash that is being buried under the snow start to appear.”
Soraya Martinez Ferrada, mayor of Montreal, has repeatedly said improving cleanliness was a priority during the municipal election campaign.
New social brigade to address sanitation issues at encampments
The city also announced a $2-million budget for a new social cleanliness brigade aimed at addressing sanitation issues linked to encampments and homelessness.
The team, made up of blue-collar workers from the borough of Ville‑Marie, is expected to begin work in mid-April.
Officials say the brigade will regularly operate in boroughs including Mercier–Hochelaga‑Maisonneuve, Le Sud‑Ouest, Le Plateau‑Mont‑Royal, Rosemont–La Petite‑Patrie and Villeray–Saint‑Michel–Parc‑Extension, and will be available elsewhere upon request.
The initiative will work alongside the city’s recently unveiled municipal protocol for managing encampments, which outlines sanitation and safety standards for interventions.
“It’s also super important for Montreal’s appeal and reputation,” said Pinard.
La Fontaine Park garbage-bin project scrapped
Meanwhile, the city has backed down from a pilot project that would have removed dozens of garbage cans from La Fontaine Park.
The project aimed to reduce litter within the park by removing internal garbage bins and installing larger recycling containers on nearby streets at the park’s exits. Officials hoped the change would encourage visitors to dispose of their waste before leaving.
Pinard said he became aware of the pilot project last week and ended it Monday morning.
“It was not aligned with what we wanted to do and our vision, so we want to make sure we take baby steps, we want to make sure that we do a big push for cleanliness and then we’ll see what happens after.”
The initiative had originally been launched under the administration of former Montreal mayor Valérie Plante.
Some residents had raised concerns about the plan.
“Moving the bins outside of the park or to the periphery of the park is a bad idea because people need convenience if they’re going to actually do something good, like throw their trash away instead of littering,” said Montrealer Kate Howells.
