Let’s be honest: after last winter’s icy sidewalks, buried side streets and craters-disguised-as-potholes, a lot of Montrealers are approaching this winter with a healthy dose of dread. The city says it has heard you. On Thursday, Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada announced $15.8 million to modernize winter road maintenance, and declared that “we feel ready for this winter,” according to CBC News.
What’s Changing This Winter
- 43 new snow removal machines ($13.3M): 19 loaders, 13 snowblowers and 11 jets used to spread abrasives.
- $2.5M more for the boroughs, with more than 16 additional pieces of equipment to reinforce spreading operations.
- A new weather and operations monitoring centre to anticipate storms and deploy the right resources at the right time.
- Go-Géo, a new platform rolling out gradually over the winter that will let residents track sidewalk salting and snow clearing online, in real time.
- Salt is back on the streets. After some reluctance over infrastructure and environmental concerns, the mayor said salt will be used to melt ice on roads: “We can’t go without it, unfortunately.”
- A starfish-based de-icing additive will be tested, something already used in other cities.
The city also relies on 115 snow-removal contracts, split 55% public sector and 45% private sector.
The War on Potholes
The mayor took plenty of heat last season over the state of Montreal’s streets, and potholes were a big part of it. Since last year, city crews have fixed 200,000 potholes, and the goal is to double repair capacity. Starting in January, two specialized hubs with 24 additional blue-collar workers in eight mobile teams will focus on pothole repair, and the city is buying eight mechanical pothole repair machines. Officials also say AI will be used to track machinery, repairs and crew coordination.
Martinez Ferrada said her administration inherited aging, poorly maintained equipment and a “maintenance deficit” when it took office last November, and that residents are right to demand better service.
Not Everyone Is Convinced
Verdun borough mayor Céline-Audrey Beauregard isn’t thrilled about the salt, arguing that better snow clearing would mean needing less of it. She also questioned who will actually be calling the shots on snow operations, and how much room boroughs will have to manoeuvre. In other words: the real test comes with the first big storm.
Other Stories to Know This Friday
- Mercier Bridge work this weekend: Quebec’s Transport Ministry plans to repair a cracked beam under the Honoré-Mercier Bridge from Saturday 3 a.m. to Monday 5 a.m., with only one lane open in each direction. Expect congestion and allow extra time (CBC).
- Canada Malting dismantling begins Oct. 19: The owners say partial dismantling of the Saint-Henri landmark will start Monday due to collapse risks, and the public is asked to avoid the area (CBC).
- Clocks fall back soon: Quebecers will once again turn their clocks back this fall, and with other provinces moving to scrap the time change, the debate is back on the table (CBC).
Want something to look forward to instead of snowbanks? Check out our Halloween 2026 guide and keep up with all the latest Montreal news on MTL365. L’hiver s’en vient, Montréal. On est prêts?
Photo: Mourial / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Sources: CBC News, CBC News (Mercier Bridge), CBC News (Canada Malting)
