deneigement

there are some things quebec does well. very well even. i know, i'm just as shocked as you are but it's true. in the wake of the first winter "storm", montreal has proven itself to me.

if you've ever lived in a city when snow hits, you know how supremely frustrating it can be. should you be one of the lucky ones with underground parking (thank god!) then you should be extremely grateful (which i am). because for the many unlucky folks, this is what happens: 15cm of snow falls (this, in itself, is not so bad. snow generally being light and fluffy). snow gets a bit melty on the road because of all the cars driving on it. snow starts to get thick and wet. snowplow drives by and rams all of the heavy wet snow against your car at 4am so when you wake up and need to head to work, well, you can't.

to be fair, drivers often have it coming. montreal has a lot (a lot!) of signage pertaining to snow removal. when to park where, which side of the street at which time, free parking during snow removal hours, etc. if you chose to ignore this, you do so at your own risk. the plows/snow removal crews have no mercy for your tiny little car stuck in the snow and will proceed to encrust you in it as best they can. plows have better things to do then worry about your car.

and this is where montreal's efficiency becomes amazing (yes, i said it). the "deneigement" process is an incredibly well organized ballet, leaving the city streets and sidewalks clear of snow until the next major dumping. first, the plow. he comes at specific times (noted on the street signs) and will crust you into your car if you chose to park there. then depending on which street you live on (main roads first, secondary roads, uhm, second, etc), the mini plow comes by and pushes all the snow from the sidewalk and road into the middle of the street (i know this sounds counterintuitive but trust me). then, the fun. if you've chosen to leave your car in the street, an irritating siren will sound (for about 1 minute) by the tow truck who drives ahead of the next crew. you don't move your car, they move it for you. at your expense (and trust me, they do it quickly). once said car has been relocated, the massive dump-style trucks are followed by little snow-blower plows who blow all the snow into the back of the truck. and poof! it's gone. when the truck gets full, it drives off to the nearest dump centre (toboggan heaven for kids) while the next truck pulls ahead.

it's astonishing really. in less then 4 days following the snow storm, the city streets and sidewalks are clear as though no snow dropped from the sky. snow removal crews work non-stop until the bulk of the streets are done, at which point they slow it down some.

i read in the paper today that it takes some 3000 employees in 2200 snowplow-blowers following 1000 trucks 4 days to clear 4100km of roads and 6500km of sidewalks in the city. this process can cost in the 17 000 000 dollar region (yes, that many zeros). and while it feels a bit excessive, i can't help but feel happy when i don't have to trudge through 4 foot snowbanks on my walk to work or take my car off-roading to get out of the building.

at least some of my tax dollars do something good in this province
xo

snow day

you know what i miss? snow days! if you don't know what snow days are, i feel bad for you.

today we're having the first "storm" of the winter- some 15cm (ish) covering the city in white goodness. the kind of white goodness you loved as a kid. thick, heavy snow. the kind of snow that made you giggle with anticipation in the morning as you listened to the radio (1220 CJSS...) to hear if your school was on the list: the magical list of schools that were closed for the day. you'd lie under the covers, half asleep, willing it with all of your might.

if you were lucky, your school was on the list. the most blissful days of the school year. an entire day off  to play in the snow with your friends because it's not that cold when snowstorms hit.

if you were less lucky, the school stayed open but the buses were cancelled. meaning if you lived in town (whether you were on a bus or not) you were sort of expected to go to school. you didn't mind so much though, because it was a pretty chill day involving movies, card games and 7up (the game, not the drink).

what i would give now to be able to look out my window and see the city covered in snow and think "oh my god! maybe work is closed today". i've worked it out in my head: i'd lie under the duvet (i've upgraded over the years), willing with all of my might for the public transit in the city to shutdown. i'd listen to the radio (podcast?) and wait for the wonderful moment when the announcer says "cirque du soleil is closed for the day, stay home michelle (hey, it's my imagination, of course he'd be talking to me)". i'd go back to sleep for a while (obviously) before gearing myself up to enjoy the great outdoors. i'd come back inside, cheeks all aglow, to sip on a cup of hot chocolate and defrost. *sigh*

instead i get to bundle myself up (in a jacket, boots, snow pants, mitts, tuque and scarf) so i can head out the door and walk to the metro station that takes me to work, work all day, then bundle back up to walk back to the metro station that takes me home.

somedays, i wish i was a teacher...
xo