Montreal gets green light to use Blue Bonnets site as snow dump

The City of Montreal now has permission to use the site of the former Blue Bonnets racetrack in Cte-des-NeigesNotre-Dame-de-Grce as a temporary snow-dumping site.

Quebec's Environment Ministry gave the green light after discussions with the city earlier this week.

Jean-Franois Parenteau, Montreal's executive committee member responsible for snow removal, said last week, before the latestmajor snowfall, that the city hasthree snow dumps that are already full.

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He said at the time the city hoped for warmer weather, which would reduce the amount of snow that needsto be carted away.

The Plante administration also unveiled measuresrecently to improve how snow and ice are cleared from city streets and sidewalks after the city was criticized for waiting too long to approvesnow-removal operations.