The inconveniences of snow, snow, snow

Among some of the more threatening consequences of a hard winter and the accumulation of large amounts of snow is the danger the white stuff poses for buildings (and homes) whose roofs simply cannot withstand the weight.

Such was the case at the Bureau of Public Works, situated at 2550 Industrial Boulevard, whose roof started to give way on Monday morning, forcing the administration to temporarily evacuate the building. About 100 employees were at work at the time.

It was one of the employees of the Environment Department who, detecting a half-inch crack in the roof, quickly alerted the district director.

"We had the framework inspected to determine if any movement had occurred, but the engineers concluded that there was little risk of the roof caving in, so we allowed the employees to return to their work stations without too much delay," explained François Collins, the building's superintendent.

City workers nonetheless went immediately to work to remove the accumulated snow from the roof to prevent any further damage.