Hi MoodIndigo, I used to live in Dollard, near the corner of Westpark and Anselme-Lavigne.
Spoons, I hope you get better quick. The pictures you saw were within walking distance from our house. We had bing honkin’ off-roadin’ 4x4 SUVs like Pathfinders and Jeeps getting stuck trying to make the turn onto our little street.
Maybe there oughta be a protest where two dozen dump trucks empty their boxes full of snow on the front steps of city hall or something…
Wow, I live on Beaufort (just south of Anselme-Lavigne), ex-neighbour.
Two Fridays ago when we got the nasty ice-storm roads we were up at Market Mall. A glance at Sarcee on the way down Shaganappi indicated we weren’t getting home for HOURS that way. So we headed west on the No. 1 out of town, and back in on Old Banff Coach Road. Which was sanded and plowed. The instant we crossed 101st street (city limits on the west side) the street was a skating rink. What a surprise.
Our street is finally packed down enough that people aren’t getting stuck, but you still have to take a bit of a run at your driveway in our corner. That’s where the drifts go. And the piles on either side of our driveway are already taller than the car - no idea how we’re going going to clear the driveway the next time - it’s a bit tough to toss a shovel full of snow over your head.
If they didn’t, I don’t think they could tell you! 
Send good thoughts to my car, Dopers. I got curious–the car hasn’t run for a couple of days, though it has been plugged in–and I decided to see if it would start. (As mentioned above, I was home today with a bad cold, but I got bored sitting around and I was curious.)
Nope. A call to CAA and a two-hour wait later, and the car was running. I let it run for an hour, mostly idling but I also drove around a bit. Good thing, but I’m wondering if it will start tomorrow. I should be well enough to go to work–if I can get there. And if I can manage to keep it warm throughout the day.
Fingers crossed!
Update: The figures are in.
According to our local paper, we received 61 cm (just over 2 feet) of snow over the weekend. Then the cold set in, and we got all the way down to -39C (-38F) on Monday night.
And my car started yesterday morning. Reluctantly, but it did.
We’re expecting a high today of -9C (approx. 16F). Woo-hoo! Break out the beach gear!
And it’s snowing again in Calgary. Yee haw.
Spoons, we heard on the news yesterday that Lethbridge and area was down to
-50somethingºC with the windchills! You guys were breaking records!
In other news, four days after the snow, people living in the burbs are finally able to drive out of their neighbourhoods again. The city keeps saying they are doing a fine job clearing snow, and anyway, no one will pay more per year to get their streets cleared, but somehow I just don’t believe them. THey showed a poll that shows that 61% of people don’t support $35 extra on their yearly tax bill for snow clearing of all streets - that sounds like pure bullshit to me. When did they ask people, in July? Did they just poll people who live and work downtown?
I didn’t hear -50, but I did hear -44. Either way, we sure were breaking records. I think the news mentioned at one point that it was colder here than in the Arctic.
I’d guess the latter. All the people in those newer condos on the south side of the Bow between 10th Street and Centre Street. Who never need to shovel out their cars from their heated indoor parking; or indeed use them during the winter, because they’re only a few blocks from work and the artsy Kensington area and a C-Train stop. Just my theory, but there may be some truth to it. 
The real secret to that poll was that it was taken in June. Who cares about snow clearing in June?
Just shoveled my steps and landing. First time this season, and usually I love shoveling the first snow, but not this time.
My husband has to fly Montreal-Halifax tonight for a hearing tomorrow morning, and I am far from sure the flight won’t be cancelled or delayed. The hearing hasn’t been cancelled as of now. Still, if he does get to fly, I’ll worry about him until he gets to the hotel.
Winter is beautiful, but it makes life more complicated.
Hi MoodIndigo,
The timing is just about right for you in Montreal to be getting that ginormous system that spawned this thread about now.
Enjoy. You’re welcome.
At least you have decent snow clearing in Montreal.
Regarding your husband, well there will be no doubt about whether to de-ice or not, and snow storms do not produce dangerous wind-shear and up/downdrafts like thunderstorms, so there is no reason to worry any more than if he flew on a nice day. He may wind up catching this thing again in the maritimes, though, if he stays long enough, so he may run into delays.
-trupa
ps. Sent you an email to you gmail account re DDO.
Thanks for pointing out about the email, trupa. I had missed it: a list of freecycle items has knocked it off the front page.
He made it to Halifax safely, you were right. They were delayed because they had to deice, then they waited too long and had to deice again.
Just did some more shoveling.
How are things in Alberta now?
We survived (we’re in Dalhousie) and so did the dogs! I started my vacation last Friday so I wasn’t having to drive to work (in the SW) and I’m so glad!
My husband is a firefighter and is stationed at Hall No. 1, which is downtown (east side, on 5th). When this weather first hit, he was working that day and was the crew taking care of Edmonton Trail and those neighborhoods. As you Calgarians know, Edmonton Trail is pretty steep, and it turned into ice. They were called because of accidents and while trying to clear everything up and waiting for the cops, they put barricades at the bottom and top of this hill. Well, I guess people started driving around them! Seriously, my husband is on this ice rink of a hill trying to clear up these accidents and people decide to drive around barricades and try and slip slide up the hill and put all the fire fighters lives at risk?! So they went down and put more barricades all the way across the road and guess what - people got out of their cars and MOVED THEM! I laugh about it now because it’s so ridiculous!
Anyhow, the last three days he’s been on the river doing an ice water rescue course. Yup, he’s IN the river right now. Sounds fun!
As for me, I ventured out to Nose Hill yesterday afternoon with the dogs. Two hours later I finally made it home, slip sliding across the John Laurie/Shagannapi intersection. I’m glad I’m not having to drive much in this! At least it’s sunny right now - and fairly warmish!
Lucky, not having to drive, EmAnJ. About the firefighters, they deserve our thanks. Some of those drivers are in a hurry to meet their maker, that’s fine, but they shouldn’t put others at risk.
Has Alberta made winter tires compulsory?
No, and I don’t ever see it happening here - Calgary probably spends as much time with bare pavement and in slush from chinooks as we do buried in snow and ice.
ETA: And now I have to go shovel the walks again after yesterday’s snowfall. Fingers crossed that we might actually get through a Friday without a snowstorm - especially since tomorrow is Jim’s company Christmas party and we have to drive through downtown to get to it!
The walk shoveling was a pain in the ass - we shoveled on Saturday, but somehow we ended up with hard-packed snow anyway. I got about 30 feet done before I was done in. Living on a busier street is turning out to be a mixed blessing; our street got plowed early on, but they shoved the snow onto my sidewalk and all the foot traffic packed it down. Apparently I have to really stay on top of my front walk now (24 hours leeway is too much unless I want to bust my ass). And why, WHY do people shovel onto the road? Just…don’t. Put it on your front lawn where the grass and trees will soak up all that lovely melting snow.
It’s illegal here to shovel (or push ) snow into the street and I haven’t seen anybody do that recently.
Best decision I ever made was to get a snow removal contract for our driveway. They’re very good, they cleared our driveway 4 times yesterday. When there is a snowfall, they clear behind the cars, then come by later to clear the rest of the driveway after people have gone to work or moved their cars.
I don’t know what the assholes who do that here are thinking - as this thread has shown, most Calgarians know that the street isn’t going to get cleared, so let’s put…more snow on it? Jerks.
Two days in - I have about 2/3 of my sidewalks good and cleared (except for the new snow from yesterday). Our new house is a corner lot, and we have about three times more sidewalk than we used to have plus a short driveway - I’m obviously going to have to step up my snow-removal routine.
Heh! I do my walk, then the fellow next door whose never home, then the single gals on the othere side of me and now the old gal that moved in next to them, Sigh! yeah its outa control.