Why Boston Can’t Implement Canadian Snow Removal Tactics

Boston continues to contend with the fallout from a severe snow season. Complaints from residents and businesses, noting that the city isn't doing enough to improve snow removal, have been mounting, leading some to wonder why Boston can't take a lesson in snow cleanup from our neighbors to the north.

Axios Boston reported that a Boston City Council hearing last week revealed the city has looked into Montreal's methodology, but the city has never implemented any of the Canadians' snow-removal techniques.

A Boston City Council hearing on Tuesday, March 3, focused on how the city could improve pedestrian access and snow operations, with Montreal highlighted as a benchmark for efficiency.

According to a report from the hearing, Montreal traditionally clears approximately 6,200 miles of streets and averages 75–83 inches of snow per year. Winters sometimes surpass 125 inches of snowfall, compared with Boston's average of approximately 43 inches per year.

Interim Streets Chief Nick Gove reported that Montreal's strategy is to push snow to the street center and load it into trucks. Boston once sent a team to study Canadian practices. 

A key cultural difference, however, is Montreal's one-sided parking ban after heavy snowfalls, enabling heavy machinery to work more efficiently. According to Councilor Benjamin Weber, adopting such a parking ban in Boston would require a "significant commitment" to changing local habits. Disability rights dvocates argue Boston's current approach to snow removal is too car-centric, leading to blocked curb cuts and unshoveled sidewalks that push vulnerable residents into traffic.

In addition, Boston relies on more than a dozen temporary snow farms for snow disposal. Montreal, on the other hand, uses more open land outside its metro area for snow disposal.

Boston City Council has proposed several next steps to addressing snow removal for the future. They include launching a volunteer Snow Corps, expanding the use of large industrial snow-melters, and tightening enforcement of sidewalk-shoveling duties for property owners.