The appeal of a trip into Montreal is waning

Heading downtown these days is just too big an ordeal

It used to be said there were two seasons in Montreal: winter and construction. But now, the continuing work on the Turcot has combined with the series of snowstorms we have been getting to produce a seemingly endless season of misery. It feels like every artery into the city is clogged, and suburbanites are among those feeling the pain.

Many of us are deciding to refrain from heading downtown to shop, go to restaurants and take in shows and other forms of entertainment. We look at the smaller roads downtown that seem to grow narrower and narrower. It’s more appealing to stay in our suburbs, with their seemingly broader roads and arguably better snow removal service.

Street parking in winter in the city centre is not for the faint of heart. I’m thankful for the green shovel I keep in my car. It has helped me dig myself out of a snow-filled parking spot on more than one occasion.

One of the worst parts of driving into the city centre from the suburbs is to find construction zones laden with cones and nobody working.

Yes, our city desperately needs the construction that is underway, but many cities around the world construct or reconstruct roadways a whole heck of a lot of faster than we do here.

Do others have to do it while contending with the amount of snowfall we’ve been getting? Maybe not, but I can’t help but wonder whether work can be done more efficiently.

Those who work downtown have no choice but to stomach the frustrations, because the bottom line is you’ll go where your bread and

Street parking in winter in the city centre is not for the faint of heart.

butter are. But many commuters have had to make some adjustments, be it relying increasingly more on public transportation, carpooling or staggering work hours to avoid traffic and gridlock.

As for the rest of us, chances are, the combination of factors has had us thinking twice, or maybe three times before heading downtown.

I miss the days of driving downtown as a family, parking near Ste-Catherine St. and walking up and down the strip while sipping on a latté and window shopping. We would spend an entire day people watching, looking in stores, and enjoying the sights and the sounds of the city. Now, it doesn’t really feel worth the effort, all things considered. I’d rather drive over to the local mall, park for free and walk around indoors.

This is particularly true for suburban parents of young kids. It’s so much easier to pile everyone into the car and drive somewhere local for supper, shopping or even a show.

Trips to the city centre from the suburbs that used to take 15 minutes once upon a time can take upward of one hour depending on the time and day. That is time that most families do not have to waste.

If you have young children, especially, chances are you know the pain of listening to them argue incessantly while you’re stuck in traffic. While the arguing will likely remain unchanged, shorter distances, ample restaurant and entertainment options and clearer roads undoubtedly play a major role in determining weekend plans.

That excellent sushi place downtown? It may not make the cut. Unless of course, you want to head there for lunch during the middle of the work week, in between rush hours.

Both my kids absolutely love sushi and we are always on the hunt for a good sushi place. We’ve now found some pretty good ones on the West Island.

Our infrastructure is old and needs work. As Arnold Palmer said, “The road to success is always under construction.”

Apparently, so is Montreal.

Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed is a lifelong West Islander committed to celebrating Canadian diversity and building bridges through dialogue. The mother of two children, she is the founder and editor in chief of CanadianMomEh.com, a lifestyle blog.