Although it’s too early to assess the extent of the damage to the public, the City of Montreal has said that the 311 service has registered more than 920 requests to report fallen trees and more than 4560 requests for downed ones since the ice storm began branches.

Normally, hardly a dozen reports of fallen branches or trees are reported in the same period.

In an email to The Canadian Press, the City of Montreal states that this report “is a gross underestimate given that the figures presented do not include data from the parks.”

Five days after the storm, most parts of the city are working around the clock to clear public spaces.

The municipalities are responsible for caring for the trees along the streets and in the surrounding green areas. Various professionals such as forest engineers, tree care inspectors and arborists assess the damage to trees before deciding on the necessary interventions. Trees posing immediate safety concerns will be felled.

Even healthy trees had to be felled due to the thick layer of ice. It is not yet known how many trees were downed by the storm.

The Service des grands parcs, du Mont-Royal et des sports manages large parks and natural parks such as the Frédérick-Back Park or the Île-de-la-Visitation Natural Park. The trees felled in these parks are sent to the Center de valorisation des bois urbains, among others, to transform the wood into boards or chips for pulp.

The branches picked up by the city’s roadside teams are transported to the Saint-Michel environmental complex. The material is then processed into wood chips for various uses, such as making chipboard for construction.