The freezing temperatures that hit the province didn’t stop outdoor workers from getting their jobs done, but the harsh conditions forced them to dress or take heat breaks.
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“It’s not going well since this morning, it’s difficult, I’m really cold, but we have no choice but to go home, we have to get the job done,” explains Ido Fuoco Speck, 31 construction workers returned today Back on Ontario Street in Montreal tomorrow.
At the site since 5 a.m., he and his colleague Simon St-Jean warm up as best they can.
“I dressed well: good boots, a pair of jeans, a jumpsuit, a jumpsuit, good gloves, a neck warmer. Then only the face freezes,” explains Simon St-Jean, 29, who takes care of specialized maneuvers, with a smile.
“Through exercise and work, it still gives you warmth. It’s just the face that’s cold,” he adds, explaining that he has to come home every now and then to warm up.
According to Guillaume Houle, spokesman for the Association de la Construction du Québec, most construction sites should be closed today.
“The password should have been given. The construction sites close earlier on Fridays anyway,” he says.
No choice
For Montreal’s garbage collectors, the day was as difficult as they made their rounds at the garbage disposal.
On the back of their trucks, their eyebrows, mustaches and eyelashes were covered with a thick layer of ice.
“It’s cold, that’s for sure. It’s not easy, we would have liked to stay warm,” one of them said, shaking his arms to warm himself.
Even in the cab of the truck, where the heater is on all the time, it was extremely cold, one driver confirms.
“This morning my drink froze inside! I don’t know how my colleagues are doing to persevere,” he explains, before hurrying to walk the streets.
“We have to do our job!” his colleague replies with a laugh.
warm for 15 minutes
Telephone company workers warm up as best they can in their truck after a few minutes in the cold.
“We can’t stay out for hours, so we come back warm in the truck every fifteen minutes,” explains the man, who declined to give his name.
“We handle emergencies, so we can’t stay warm like everyone else,” he adds.
For Samson Pochyla, a postman at Canada Post for 11 years, -25 degrees Celsius is a small beer.
“I’ve really seen worse. You just have to dress properly, with hand warmers, like an onion, with several layers of clothing, and everything’s fine,” says the postal clerk, who says he doesn’t get into his truck more often than usual, despite the cold.
Photo Clara Loiseau
Samson Pochyla, a postman at Canada Post, says he’s been working in much colder temperatures.
Complicated
The situation is more complicated when it comes to delivery by bicycle. “Everything gets weaker very quickly in the cold, for example my mobile phone, which I have to store in a warm place. I have an electric bike, so you have to manage the battery accordingly. The biggest challenge really is the power,” explains Julie Blundel, who works part-time for Montreal Bike Delivery.
“We have a reduced day. We can return at the smallest sign. The employer was very clear about this.
– With the collaboration of Anouk Lebel
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