Montreal's densest borough will stop removing snow on weekends as a cost-cutting measure to tackle its deficit.

The newly elected Plateau-Mont-Royal borough council says a lion's share of the district's budget goes to snow removal, much of it spent on weekend overtime wages.

The Plateau-Mont-Royal borough says it will stop removing snow on weekends. (CBC)Last winter, whenever a snowstorm blew through the borough spent about $150,000 per weekend to hire blue-collar workers on double-time shifts.

To bring down its operating deficit, snow will no longer be carted away on Saturdays and Sundays, said Luc Ferrandez of Projet Montréal, who was elected earlier this month as the borough's new mayor.

When more than 15 centimetres falls, "we will plough it, but we will not pick it up," Ferrandez said at a borough budget meeting Tuesday night.

Sidewalks will be cleared but roads won't be a priority until Monday, he told his council.

Ferrandez campaigned on a promise to promote walking, cycling and public transit in the borough, and the proposed new measure is part of that plan, he said.

"Is it so urgent to make employees work at double-time on the weekends, so that traffic flows smoothly on Monday morning?" Ferrandez told Montreal newspaper La Presse.

Sidewalks getting priority

The plan may be inconvenient for some people, but the majority of Plateau dwellers don't own cars, Projet Montréal Leader Richard Bergeron explained.

"We have to take into account the comfort and the quality of life of people living in the Plateau," he said. "Seen from that [point of view], it's more important to give priority to the sidewalk instead of the street.

'As an elected representative, our objective is not to save money, our objective is to provide quality service to citizens.'—Michael Applebaum, Montreal executive committee member responsible for services to citizens

"Of course it will not be as comfortable to travel with a car on the Plateau that Monday, but if it saves [money], hey, it's a good deal," he said.

The plan has some merchants on Mont-Royal Avenue concerned, especially ahead of the holiday season.

"Near Christmas, you know, we have snow, and on the weekend, if nothing is done, it's going to be awful, awful for everybody," said Michel Despatie, head of the Mont-Royal Avenue Business Council.

Ahuntsic-Cartierville Mayor Pierre Gagnier, also a member of Projet Montréal, said he was surprised by the plan.

Gagnier said he had no plans to follow the Plateau’s lead.

"If snow [is] coming let's say at the beginning of week and we still have some, possibly we'll keep removing snow on Sundays, as before."

The central city administration also distanced itself from the idea.

"As an elected representative, our objective is not to save money, our objective is to provide quality service to citizens," said Michael Applebaum, the executive committee member responsible for services to citizens.

"The plateau has to decide what their priorities are and we'll see exactly on how this works out, once the snow falls."