Blizzard shuts down Quebec schools

Dozens of schools were closed and hundreds of airline passengers were stranded in Quebec after amassive winter storm dumped near-record amounts of snow.

The blizzard that blew through Ontario and southern Quebec on Sunday slammed the eastern tip of the province Monday morning, when the City of Matane calleda state of emergency because of gale-force winds and arctic temperatures.

Matane officials pulled all snow-clearing equipment off the roads because wind gusts of up to 100 kilometresan hour have made it too dangerous for crews, Mayor Linda Cormier told CBC News.

Emergency crews are on standby and can still respond to calls, she said.

Transport Quebec closed several roads in the areabecause snow and ice-covered surfaces and warned drivers tolimit travel plans because blowing snow has createdwhiteout conditions.

"If you don't absolutely have to travel, it's better that you stay at home," said Transport Quebec spokeswoman Françoise Chapados. "Don't think, 'I'm a good driver, and I have a four-wheel-drive and I can get through anything.'"

On Sunday, the storm dumped more than 40 centimetres on Quebec City and at least 32 centimetres on Montreal, where authorities said it would take up to a week to remove all the snow from roads and sidewalks.

Most Quebec school boards declared a snow day Monday. Theyincludethe English Montreal School Board, Lester B. Pearson School Board, the Marguerite Bourgeoys School Board, the Commission scolaire deMontréal, the Riverside School Board and the Eastern Townships School Board.

More than 300 flights were cancelled out of Trudeau International Airport on Sunday.

Theweather delaysleft hundreds of people waiting for flights Monday morning, when authorities cancelled another 70 scheduled departures, mostly to cities still caught in the throes of the blizzard.

Airport authorities urgedtravellers travellers to check with their airlines before heading out to Dorval.

Drivers deal with whiteouts, buried vehicles, closed roads

Transport Quebec said several highwaysin the province's north and eastern regions were closed Monday morning, including:

• Highway 20 between Lévis and Rivière-du-Loup.
• Highway 132 between Lévis and Gaspé.
• Highway 175 between Quebec City and the Saguenay.
• Highway 138 on the north shore from Beaupré to Port Cartier.

Several secondary roadswere also closed in eastern Quebec.

But road conditions improved slightly in southern Quebec as snow-removal crews worked overnight to clear the accumulation.

Monday morning rush hour in Montreal was quieter than usual as people left their cars home to take public transit, causing a backlog on the metro's orange line.

Montrealofficials urged drivers to dig out their cars and move them to help speed up snow removal.

The main highways into Montrealwere also snow-covered but visibility is fair, despite occasional blowing snow.

In the Eastern Townships, Highways 10 and 55 and Routes 112 and 116 are snow-covered and visibility is poor.

In the Outaouais, road conditions improved slightly on Monday after snow crews made an initial pass. Many streets were still snow-covered but visibility is good, according to Transport Quebec reports.

Via Rail reported that trains are leaving on time,but may not arrive as scheduled because of snow-covered tracks.

Orléans Express has cancelled all buses in the Lower Saint-Lawrence and Gaspé regions because of highway closures.

Buses will run as scheduled between Quebec City and Montreal, but will be delayed because of poor driving conditions.

Many schools cancel classes for the day

The Commission scolaire de Laval also shut down for the day, but kept its day cares open, and staffwere instructed to come to work Monday morning.

Officials at McGill University asked students to check the school's website for any delays in Monday's exam schedule.

CÉGEP students should check their school's website or call to see whether classes are cancelled.

Several other schools are also closed, including:

• Collège Jean-Eudes.
• École Akiva.
• Selwyn House.
• The Study.
• Villa Maria.
• Miss Edgar's and Miss Cramp's School.
• St-Georges School of Montreal.
• École privée Kinderville.
• École secondaire Jeanne-Normandin.
• École Montessori Internationale de Montréal et Blainville.
• Collège Regina Assumpta.
• Collège Reine-Marie.
• L'Académie Yechiva Yavne.
• Institut technique Aviron.
• Collège Édouard-Montpetit.
• Académie chrétienne de la rive nord.
• École Vanguard.
• West Island College.
• ÉcoleMarie-Anne.
• Académie Marie-Claire.
• École Ste-Anne de Rosemont.
• Collège Letendre (Laval).