JAN. 6, 1981 WEATHERING MONTREAL’S OUTDOORS

Terry Mosher’s editorial cartoons, penned under the name Aislin, have been a fixture of the Montreal Gazette for 50 years. We take a weekly look back at some memorable cartoons in this impressive and vast body of work.

In March 1971, a blizzard dumped 43 centimetres of snow on Montreal in a single day, the equivalent of 500,000 truckloads. Powerful winds downed power lines; sectors of the island were without electricity for as long as 10 days. A Habs home game was even cancelled, something that hadn’t happened since the influenza epidemic of 1918. In Quebec, it was referred to as the Snowstorm of the Century.

Then, shortly after New Year’s Day in 1998, we were struck by an even larger meteorological catastrophe. The “North American Ice Storm” claimed 35 lives and caused $5 billion+ of damage.

Weather is one of the most common themes in my Montreal Gazette cartoons, after political subject matter. These cartoons provoke passionate reactions from readers. Because Montreal can be a town of extremes, including temperatures, many of the city’s activities are determined by weather cycles.

Nevertheless, Montrealers take some pride in being able to handle these extremes as well as, or even better than, any other city. After dealing with the January ’98 Ice Storm, Montrealers were absolutely gleeful the following year when Toronto’s mayor Mel Lastman called in the army to do battle with a mere metre of snow!

In contrast to the severe temperatures of January and February, June and July are probably Montreal’s best months. August is a time to rest up, preferably by some lake or even the ocean. In September, the most industrious of months, we all get busy with a lot more work and less play. In October, we forgive the slight cooling in the air because of the stupendous autumn colours — and the return of hockey. And then, is it any wonder that we hold the aptly named Grey Cup in November, the last major Canadian outdoor sporting event before winter hibernation?

Of all the cartoons I’ve drawn on the subject of weather for The Gazette, this is the one readers seem to recall the most. Let me tell you why I drew it: It was for those mornings — perhaps a dozen between November and March — when I would look out the window and just couldn’t deal with the idea of digging out my car again. I thought that I might simply phone my editors and say: “Reprint the battery cartoon, will you?” But they were never there. They were always late, digging out their own damn cars! So, what else to do but get on with it — shovel myself out, go to work, and draw another cartoon ...

Because Montreal can be a town of extremes, including temperatures, many of the city’s activities are determined by weather cycles.

On April 5, Terry Mosher’s new book will be published. From Trudeau to Trudeau: Fifty Years of Aislin Cartoons has an introduction by Bob Rae. Also, Montreal’s McCord Museum will present an Aislin retrospective from April 7 to Aug. 13.