Snow Removal in Town of Mount Royal: Progress Update and Action Plan

Last update: February 18, 2025 - 16:35

The Town of Mount Royal experienced significant snowstorms this past week, with almost 75cm of snowfall recorded. As of Thursday February 13, our teams had cleared all streets and even begun snow blowing in some narrower areas.

February 18, 2025

Operations are continuing to clear every street in town as quickly as possible. Sectors are covered with a snowblower that enters directly into the snow bank. This approach allows the streets to be widened more quickly. Using this technique, the work results in a “rough” finish. It's during the final pass that the streets will be made “clean”.

We have to cope with reduced availability of transport trucks due to high demand throughout the metropolitan area. Therefore, tonight we will be targeting those sections where snow removal by truck is the only alternative.

Note to residents: Boulevard intersections have mounds of snow, affecting visibility. Please exercise caution until all clearances have been completed. Please make sure to respect the no parking signs in place to avoid having your car towed. 

February 17, 2025

Overnight, from Thursday to Friday, our crews continued snow blowing operations using transport trucks. However, the sheer volume of snow meant that they were unable to progress as quickly as we normally would with a 20 cm snowfall. Additionally, an equipment breakdown caused some delays in the process.

Operations paused at 15:00 on Friday the 14th, after running continuously since 23:00 Thursday night. This break was required due to regulations governing the working hours of heavy machinery operators.

Action Plan for the Snowstorm on Sunday, February 16^th

Another major snowfall took place on Sunday, February 16th, with accumulations between 40 and 45 cm. This morning, public works teams cleared the center of the streets again and resumed snow removal. It is worth noting that some private contractors push snow from parking lots into the streets, which highlights the importance of keeping road centers clear to ensure smooth circulation.

• Public works employees have been working since 2:00 to remove as much snow as possible, after already working 16 hours on Sunday in challenging conditions.
• With two major snowstorms in a short period, a different method is being used to widen the streets more quickly. Snowblowers are clearing the snow without prior preparation, requiring fewer machines and speeding up the process. This allows four snowblowers to operate simultaneously. While the first pass may not be perfect, the goal is to create space quickly before a second, more thorough clearing.
• Some narrow streets remain difficult to access, but the situation is improving. Areas around Town Hall and Town Centre have already been cleared.
• On smaller streets, sidewalk clearing is challenging due to heavy snow buildup on both sides of the plows. These areas will only be fully accessible once snowblowing operations are completed.
• Crews will continue clearing sidewalks tonight despite drifting snow. Additionally, they will need to clear over 500 fire hydrants.
• Public works patrol teams will be on-site to monitor road conditions and intervene as needed.

A new action plan will be discussed tomorrow, while ensuring employees are not overworked after completing 29 hours of work in two days. We will keep you updated on the progress of these operations.

A huge thank you to Townies for their cooperation and to our public works employees who have worked tirelessly throughout this demanding week. The Town of Mount Royal urges residents to exercise caution and stay updated through our website and social media channels like the Public Security X account.