The city’s organizing the usual Christmas tree pickups and MHM is planning to use the ones it collects for that forêt éphémère around the Biodome.
Updates from January, 2011 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
-
-
A Maisonneuve writer tells us about discussing cycling with a disapproving neighbour. He makes some good points – but I do think winter cycling’s bound to be a bit precarious.
-
Stefan
-
D
… and cyclists are a real danger for
pedestrians! -
Chris
Cycling is obviously harder in winter, but not as hard as people imagine. Give it a try!
-
Kate
I’ve had friends who winter-cycle and the expense of buying the extra gloves, face and eye protection, possibly studded tires if you’re really into it, the damage done to your bike by the salt and grit, all seems to add up to a good deal more than a couple transit passes for the winter months.
I once saw a winter cyclist skid out on some ice and very nearly slide under a bus, somewhere near Mont-Royal metro. I don’t think he got hurt, but it was a near thing, and made an impression.
I also recall cycling in December once and taking a Plateau back alley coated with black ice I couldn’t see. I recall a few seconds of thinking “shit, no friction AT ALL” before I lost control in a truly magnificent crash. No vehicles, I wasn’t hurt, but it made me realize my road judgement just isn’t up to winter conditions (I don’t drive, partly because my depth perception is no good).
-
walkerp
For several years, I would just buy a junker bike for the winter and then sell or give it back in the spring, but even that entailed a lot of annoying and dirty minor repairs. I’ve found now that I just don’t bike for January and February and sometimes a bit into March and it works out okay. As far as clothing and gear, though, you don’t need anything extra special that you don’t already need in Montreal to ride anyways. Good rain gear and gloves suffice.
-
-
James Mennie looks at some of the things the city has to tackle in 2011.
Can “dislodge” be an active verb, as in “a slab of concrete dislodged from the side of the Marriott Residence Inn on Peel St. and plummeted 18 storeys”?
-
JaneB
…only in Montreal – where buildings have a kind of autonomy, all but free from scrutiny by inspectors, renovations by owners etc. Here slabs dislodge, snow falls, seasons change (and change and change….)
-
-
Two out of three Quebecers expect to keep working after retirement, although nothing’s said about whether anyone will hire them. Same thing holds true across Canada.
-
The Insectarium, which first opened in 1990, is closing till summer for a major renovation of its permanent exhibition. There will still be butterflies let loose in the big greenhouse after mid-February.
-
Activity through the Port of Montreal was up 4% in 2010 compared to 2009, but hasn’t returned to the glory days of 2008.
The city is also seeing a higher birthrate than the rest of Quebec although it doesn’t quite qualify as a baby boom.
So did I – until I went out of curiosity to a winter cycling workshop here in the Plateau and to my surprise all my concerns had been accounted for. I’ve been cycling the whole winter ever since (except snow storm days). On some days it is more exercise than others though (that’s because the streets/paths are not cleared well).
Cycling in the winter itself is not dangerous. The worst thing that’s happened to me is slipping on ice while turning a corner and falling on my down coat, not even hurting myself. Cars are the real danger – and in summer as well as in winter.