No walk in the park: City of Montreal says cleanup from ice storm in green spaces could take weeks

The City of Montreal said it expects to have most of the streets cleaned up of fallen branches and debris in the coming days after last week's storm, but that it could take much longer for crews to comb through the parks.

Piles of sticks and trunks still line several streets in Montreal after an extreme ice storm drenched the city last week. Freezing rain accumulated ice on trees, stripping many of their branches and causing significant damage to the electrical grid. At the worst of the blackouts, 1.1 million Quebecers were without power.

Nearly all of the hydro network is back to normal, but evidence of the storm is everywhere in the city – especially in its parks, where fallen trees have obstructed pathways and destroyed infrastructure.

Earlier this week, Quebec 311 reported it had received more than 4,500 calls for broken branches. While there’s no official figure, the City of Montreal believes that’s an underestimate.

"There could be tens of thousands of branches fallen down in the parks and the streets of Montreal," said Philippe Sabourin, a spokesperson for the city.

He warned residents to be cautious in parks since trees may be unstable.

Those with branches in their yards can expect an organic waste truck to come pick it up soon. Collections schedules are available on the city’s website.

City trucks will only pick up small branches from the curb. Sabourin offered an easy way to check: make an "a-OK" sign with your hand. If the branch is skinnier than the loop made by your thumb and forefinger, it’s good to go.

If it’s wider, you’ll need to bring it to an eco-centre yourself, where the wood will be recycled into woodchips.

After all the trees are picked up, the city says it’s going to start planting new ones to make up for the lost canopy.

Specifics are still in the works, but it’s expected to include a diverse selection of species.

"In a cityscape, where you’ve got the potential for danger to infrastructure," said David Fletcher, environmentalist and vice-president of the non-profit group Green Coalition.

"Plant trees that are more durable, that have the ability to cope with these weather conditions," he said.