Snow removal in Montreal

Each winter, the Canadian city of Montreal clears snow off of roads, sidewalks, and other public throughfares to make it easier and safer to travel.

[1] Montreal is the snowiest major city in North America and its snow removal operation is among the largest in the world,[2] costing C$179.7 million in 2020.

[1] In recent years, modern technologies including walkie-talkies, drones, GPS, and cameras have been added to streamline the snow-clearing process.

Second, Montreal then employs an extensive loading stage where trucks pick up and transport snow that has been plowed to the side of the road.

Snow slowly melts from the quarry in the summertime and is processed by the wastewater system, although a man-made glacier will often remain throughout the warmer months.

[19][20] The annual cost for snow removal exceeds C$170 million, representing 3% of the city's entire budget in 2021.

[21] In 2012, Maisonneuve reported that the city of Montreal spends about 37 per cent more on snowplowing than other municipalities in Quebec, leading them to raise questions about collusion and bid-rigging.

[6] Upon arrival at dumps, the quantity of snow carried by trucks is verified by camera and GPS to ensure contractors fulfill their obligations.

[22][23][24] Other cities, including Chicago and Boston, have had their snow removal mechanisms criticized as inferior to that of Montreal.