Keep this: Your guide to surviving a Montreal winter
The only way out is through, as Robert Frost would say. Embrace winter in Montreal, but keep this survival guide handy.
Andy Riga
Updated: November 16, 2018
Claude shovels snow from the steps of Mary Queen of the World Cathedral in Montreal Nov. 16, 2018. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette
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Shovelling, driving, power-failure survival guide
Shovelling can be bad for your back â and your heart. PIERRE OBENDRAUF / Montreal Gazette files
Shovelling
Shovellers have more to fear than ill-timed city snow plows undoing hours of work.
The combination of physical exertion and cold weather can increase the risk of a heart attack, especially in inactive people and those with heart disease.
“Scooping heavy, wet snow raises your heart rate quickly,” the Heart and Stroke Foundation warns. “Add in cold temperatures that raise blood pressure and increase the likelihood of developing blood clots, and it can be deadly.”
If you load your shovel with five kilograms of snow every five seconds, you’ll have moved almost 1,000 kg of snow after 15 minutes. That’s hard on the heart and the back.
Here are some shovelling tips from the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety:
• Pace yourself. Take frequent breaks and drink warm, non-alcoholic beverages.
• Push snow rather than lift it.
• If you must throw snow, only pick up as much snow as you can easily lift. Then, rather than twist at the waist, turn your feet toward the direction at which you’re aiming.
• Avoid overheating; wear thin, breathable layers.
• Don’t shovel on a full stomach. Digest your meals first; otherwise, shovelling could put an extra strain on your heart.
• Stop shovelling if you experience sudden shortness of breath, discomfort in the chest, light-headedness, nausea, dizziness, or severe headache and immediately seek medical attention.
Shovels should:
• Be light (about 1.5 kilograms or 3 pounds), and sturdy.
• Feature a handle that reaches the users’s chest to reduce forward bending.
• Include a shaft with a bend.
• Have the right blade for the job at hand. A large push-style shovel will let you move more snow but may lead you to lift heavy loads. Smaller blades are best for lifting and throwing snow.
Slowing down on snow and ice will give your tires more time to grip the road. Phil Carpenter / Montreal Gazette Files
Driving
Before you drive in wintry weather, consider these tips from CAA-Québec and Transport Canada:
•Remove all snow from your vehicle’s hood, roof, windows and lights. Clear windows of frost and fog.
•Get a tune-up, including an inspection of electrical components, as well as air-intake, fuel, exhaust, ignition, cooling system and windshield wipers.
• Slow down on snow and ice. Your tires will have more time to grip the road. Give yourself extra travel time in bad weather.
• Avoid using cruise control on slippery roads.
• Always turn the steering wheel slowly to retain control.
• Front-wheel skids are often caused by excessive speed on a turn or the wheels locking up. If you find yourself in a front-wheel skid, gently ease up on the accelerator or brake pedal and steer in the direction of the turn while looking in the direction you want to go.
• For rear-wheel skids, turn the front wheels in the direction in which the back end has started swinging, while looking in the direction you want to go.
• Be alert for deceptive conditions. Invisible black ice can form when the temperature hovers around zero, especially on bridges, overpasses and underpasses. In rural areas, road conditions can change quickly from dry to snowy or ice-covered.
• Leave more space than normal between your car and the one ahead of you to give yourself time to respond if an emergency arises.
• Prepare an emergency kit for your trunk. It should include a shovel, a snow brush, a scraper, traction aids, booster cables, windshield-washer fluid, a reflective vest, a battery-free flashlight, basic tools, a first-aid kit, a warm blanket and some non-perishable snacks.
Hydro-Québec says storms, snow, freezing rain and winds are some of the main causes of power failures. PETER MARTIN / Montreal Gazette Files
Home emergency kit
Authorities suggest you prepare a home kit with basic supplies that can help you take care of yourself and your family for 72 hours in case of an emergency such as an extended power failure.
Heavy snow and freezing rain can take down power lines, though Hydro-Québec says power outages are actually more common in the summer.
What should your emergency kit include?
Here are some basic supplies suggested by Public Safety Canada, Hydro-Québec and Quebec’s public-security department.
• Water (at least two litres of water per person per day).
• Food that won’t spoil, such as canned food, energy bars and dried foods.
• Manual can-opener.
• Crank or battery-powered flashlight (and extra batteries). Replace batteries regularly.
• Warm blankets.
• Battery-powered radio (and extra batteries) to monitor the situation.
• First aid kit (bandages, gauze sterile pads, scissors, tweezers, safety pins, antiseptic, pain medication).
• Other items such as prescription medication, infant formula and equipment for people with disabilities.