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Winter Has Been So Icy In Montreal, Stores Are Running Out Of Road Salt
It's no secret that this winter in Montreal has been terribly icy. We've gone through countless thaws, with the streets flooding and sidewalks turning into little urban ponds... only for the temperature to drop and everything to freeze again.
So it's really no surprise that stores are starting to run out of road salt in Montreal and the surrounding areas.
But just because we aren't surprised, doesn't mean we aren't worried about the impact of less salt. Especially considering it's barely March and anyone from here knows, winter is far from over.
TL;DR With ongoing thawing and freezing, Montreal has become an ice rink more than once this winter making it hard for stores to keep road salt in stock.
Without crampons, I would not have made it very far this morning #ice#Montreal#weather
Montreal's News and Talk Radio, CJAD 800 had several callers this morning lamenting the fact that they were unable to find salt at their local store.
One caller, in particular, is quoted as having visited three separate stores without luck.
In an article oniHeartRADIO.ca, it states that the caller, " went to the Costco in Pointe-Claire, and there's none." She then "went to Walmart on St. John's, and Walmart on St. Charles..." and still had no luck.
The article outlines that other areas seeing the most shortages include "Dorval, LaSalle, NDG, Ahuntsic-Cartierville and Deux-Montagnes."
Montreal is just ice and potholes for all y’all who never been here
Meanwhile, Canadian Tire is quoted as receiving deliveries for road salt every single day, so that seems to be your best bet if you're in a pinch.
You can also apparently use kitty litter if you're totally strapped for salt and your walkway is a disaster.
However, dealing with your own walkway is one thing. It's the city that is responsible for sidewalks and public spaces. And while the city is quoted as saying they, "don't expect to run out" of salt "anytime soon," we wrote an article recently that outlines exactly why the city is so sure of their salt stocks.
Montreal is just ice and potholes for all y’all who never been here
The city has a strict rationing policy for salt that limits extra salt being laid down, even if sidewalk and road conditions require more salt. Which, I believe it is safe to say, has been the case most of this winter.
More than one Montrealer has broken a bone this winter and despite public outcry, Montreal's mayor Valerie Plante continues to hold fast that this winter is just like any other and citizens are just using the city as a "punching bag" to vent their frustrations.