There's no planning like snow planning

Snow. It's a short word with tall urban consequences. I just experienced my first Montreal winter. It was captivating, beautiful and enduring. Now I understand why foreigners measure their residency by winters, not years. Under its 2m annual average snow fall, the French-Canadian metropolis looks and feels completely different from without. Changes in daily lifestyle are extensive. As a Melburnian, bike rider and park frequenter, I was particularly stunned by the relationship shift between user and public space. This is learnt the hard way: During mid-November, following a naive declaration for winter cycling and while dreamily admiring sprinkling snowflakes, I slid and stacked my bike on the then 15mm ground cover. I went from regular rides to five months of hibernation triggering a (knee-) deep snow obsession. The result is this snapshot of my observations of how one's interaction with public space changes, reflecting on how city operations accommodate this. The all-determining snow removal process is first explored, then how people can or can't move, and lastly use of open spaces.