Quebec politicians have once again shown their incompetence by failing to take proactive action in the face of a crisis. The latest example? The snowstorm hit on Sunday, leaving residential neighbourhoods buried under 30 to 60 centimetres of snow for days. Despite the province’s four-season climate, it appears Quebec was entirely unprepared for the aftermath, leaving pedestrians stranded and forced to walk in hazardous conditions near highways.
Snow Removal Neglect: A Recurring Failure
Days after the storm, most residential areas are still buried, forcing people to either trudge through knee-deep snow or risk their lives walking near high-speed roads. It is not only irresponsible but entirely predictable in a province that routinely neglects infrastructure maintenance until disaster strikes.
What makes this worse is the sheer amount of money wasted elsewhere. The government has spent $800 million on bike paths, yet it is nearly impossible to walk on regular roads, let alone dedicated bike lanes, which also remain covered in snow. Where did that money go, if not toward ensuring year-round accessibility and safety for pedestrians?
Pedestrians Forced Into Dangerous Conditions
One of the most alarming aspects of this failure is how pedestrians are left with no choice but to walk dangerously close to highways. In a province where public transit is already inadequate, the lack of cleared sidewalks and proper pedestrian paths means people have to risk their lives next to vehicles travelling at 60 km/h or even worse, near heavy trucks carrying over 20,000 kg. These trucks cannot stop in time if a pedestrian is forced onto the road—leading to potentially fatal accidents that could have been entirely avoided.
Quebec’s Reactionary Lawmaking: Only Acting After Tragedy
The way laws are created in Quebec follows a disturbing pattern: politicians only take action after people die. Instead of preventing tragedies, the province waits for fatalities before addressing clear dangers. The failure to clear snow from pedestrian-heavy areas is just another example of how Quebec neglects public safety until it is too late.
This raises a crucial question: how many laws were never made simply because there wasn’t a death to force action? The government’s negligence in addressing obvious risks demonstrates that the province’s leadership prioritizes damage control over prevention.
Time for Real Accountability
If Quebec truly cared about public safety, its priorities would be clear:
- Clear snow in areas where pedestrians are at risk first—especially where no sidewalks exist near highways.
- Ensure public transit is available in high-risk areas so people aren’t forced to walk on unsafe roads.
- Invest in actual infrastructure maintenance instead of dumping money into projects that remain unusable.
Quebec politicians need to be held accountable for their lack of foresight and action. The failure to prepare for a predictable winter storm is inexcusable, and it is only a matter of time before lives are lost due to government inaction.
How many deaths will it take before they finally do their jobs?
