OffQc | Québécois French Guide

I posted some pre-winter images to the OffQc Facebook page recently, but I wanted to put them here on the blog too, for your reference. They’re images of a few aspects typical of Montréal at this time of year.

This first image was taken on 19 November at 4 o’clock in the afternoon (16:08, to be precise), on Sainte-Catherine at McGill College. November is the month where you think it’s 10 at night, then look at the clock and see it’s only 5. On the bright side, the temperature was mild when I took this photo: 13 degrees.

This second image is of driveways fitted with white, plastic shelters along their length. Homeowners have these shelters installed to prevent snow from accumulating on the driveway — no tiring shovelling at 5 in the morning before going to work because of an overnight snowstorm.

You can drive your car right into the shelter and leave it parked underneath, or you can continue into the garage. In an attempt to minimise visual pollution, only white (i.e., snow-coloured) shelters are permitted in Montréal. These shelters are practical, but they’re also disliked by people who find them to be an eyesore.

A general name in French for a car shelter is un abri d’auto, but the term un abri Tempo is frequently used instead, where Tempo is the name of a car shelter manufacturer.

In the image above, you can see these shelters have been installed in front of virtually every house on the street. Everybody in the neighbourhood is ready for the snow.