The trees and branches that fell under the weight of the freezing cold rain there would be collected in the coming months, said Philippe Sabourin, spokesman for the city of Montreal.
In an interview with Tout un matin, Mr Sabourin announces the good news that the street branch collection operation is over 99% complete.
“After the street cleanup is complete, we head to the parks. »
– A quote from Philippe Sabourin, spokesman for the city of Montreal
Philippe Sabourin, spokesman for the city of Montreal
Photo: Radio Canada / Ivanoh Demers
It will take some time, explains Sabourin, who expects the work to end around the second week of June.
However, he points to two exceptions for Mount Royal and Maisonneuve Park, where it will take longer. If he’s aiming for late June at Maisonneuve Park, he’ll have to wait several more months at Mount Royal. It will be in the summer, he repeats.
It’s not a small area. We’ll need private help. “We’re in the process of placing orders,” he adds.
The collected branches are transported to the Saint-Michel environmental complex.
Photo: Radio Canada / Ivanoh Demers
The work was gigantic, recalls Philippe Sabourin. We have millions of trees in Montreal. During the April 5 storm, no fewer than 900 trees fell and tens of thousands of branches had to be salvaged.
“In the Saint-Michel environmental complex, we have more than 2,000 tons of branches. And that’s the tip of the iceberg. »
– A quote from Philippe Sabourin, spokesman for the city of Montreal
At a press conference, Mr Sabourin gave the example of work in the Côte-des-Neiges district, where more than 1,200 inquiries from citizens were answered in a month. That’s about the work we do in a year […] It illustrates the efforts that have been made in the community.
Mr. Sabourin reminds that the city does not necessarily have all the equipment to shred branches and trunks of different sizes.
Collected twigs in which the material is converted into wood chips for various uses, such as making chipboard for construction.
Photo: Radio Canada / Ivanoh Demers
The branches picked up from the roadside by the municipal teams were transported to the Saint-Michel environmental complex, where the material is then turned into wood chips for various uses, such as making chipboard for construction.
After the harvest we tackle the pruning. “It will take us several months to tend to the damaged trees,” Mr Sabourin concludes.