With the unusual amount of snowfall so far this winter, Montreal has encountered increasing problems in recent weeks in dealing with snow-clearing operations.
The sites that the City of Montreal uses to dump snow once it's been cleared from the streets and sidewalks are reportedly running at or near capacity, with at least several more weeks left of winter-weather conditions.
As a result, the city asked the provincial government for permission to allow them to use two new sites: the Blue Bonnet Hippodrome and a site near Angrignon in LaSalle. That request was granted this afternoon, according to a spokesperson for Jean-François Parenteau, the executive committee member responsible for citizen's services.
When speaking to reporters this morning, Mayor Valérie Plante said that reports the city is planning to start dumping excess snow into the Saint-Lawrence River are completely false.
When asked if the city was over-running its snow-clearing budget -- which is generally intended to cover snow-removal operations for around five major storms -- Plante responded frankly, "Yes." But she quickly qualified that statement by adding, "at the same time, we want to make sure that all of our sidewalks and streets are safe."
She said that efforts have been made to increase this year's snow-removal budget to include measures targetting sidewalks, and to augment the funds already allocated to clear streets.
"There is snow, we have to deal with it, we will be spending the money necessary [for] that," Plante said.