Snow Fighters

A close-up of a snow-bound city, and the men, money and machinery it takes to dig it out.
Directed by Leslie McFarlane - 1957 | 10 min
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[@joez8914]

As snow plow driver today, these guys had an entire system that supported them. An invested and hard working chain of command that supported the operation and freed them up to their job. You wouldn’t believe the incompetence and mismanagement in today’s government operations if I told you. It’s all on the operator now. Management just sits home on a laptop and is so disconnected from the operation that it’s literally impossible to do anything effectively. So sad.

[@TDIMAXDIESEL]

Ville de Montréal !!!! That's where I m Born,. Quebecer, French Canadian. Now I'm in Québec City since 2008

[@Maine307]

OLD SCHOOL !!! WICKED AWESOME FOOTAGE !

[@mattsfirewoodvideos738]

My grandfather used to tell stories of the way they did snow removal when he was a kid it was nice to actually see it cool video thank you

[@louiseugeniojr.3530]

That was a rather interesting film to watch.

[@poochie49]

Great video. I remember when I lived in the east end of Montreal at that time the sound of those Sicard snowblowers always amazed me. Not much has changed from today except the modern machines.Still the best snow removal system of any major city in the world.

[@jameskeenan9570]

Poochie Parnell?

[@richardpalleschi4807]

My dad worked for the town of Swampscott mass. Drove a Sicard. He also did snow removal the same way they are doing it. The blizzard of 1978 we did not see him for days. Only to come home for a nap, shower & back at it.

[@rowland5951]

Thank god for machines

[@jasonsabourin2275]

SOME machines.

[@joie8465]

Yeah until they betray us from elon musk

[@Caje-zf8md]

I seem to recall seeing some old b&w photographs of WW1 tanks rigged with plows that were used to clear routes way back then in my hometown in northern Minnesota.

[@DeWessel97]

the snow falling is so zen for some reason

[@jasonsabourin2275]

..... Till your shoveling it.

[@ccardp.i.1403]

@@jasonsabourin2275 haha

[@Wa3ypx]

I felt that way this week!! In mom's kitchen, warm, having a cup of hot tea, watching large flakes fall from a steel blue sky.

[@CorinneIsIn]

Wow. This was great to watch.

[@jeffputnam3517]

Strangely satisfying to watch :)

[@pnwRC.]

Fabulous video!

[@jasonsabourin2275]

Excellent, loved the dubbing work. 🤭

[@briansokoloski776]

Toronto needs a film like this to be produced they get heavy snowstorms in downtown also every winter seasons

[@carmiethompson2676]

9:52 The movie was made in 1956; MCMLVI. 1957 would be MCMLVII

[@robnad8583]

well done video

[@Hellodarknessmyolefriend]

Back then had even directors guiding the snow blowers!!!🤣

[@Mr_Hillbilly_weeb]

As a snow plow driver, seeing how things were done before my time is just awesome

[@Wa3ypx]

2:39 to 3:00 looks like a scene from On the Waterfront

[@jasonsabourin2275]

GREAT FILM, wish I could see it again, for the FIRST time...... Elia Kazan, Eva Marie Saint, Brando, Steiger, Malden, AND...... LEE J. COBB as "Johnny Friendly" OH, and don't forget..... FRED GWYNNE!

[@Wa3ypx]

@@jasonsabourin2275 I know Eva Marie Saint could drive a motorcycle, don't know about a plow truck.

[@peterqualman4601]

Those giant snowblowers are something else I tell ya I wonder if they are still in use

[@Wa3ypx]

No, animal rights activists banned them a few years back. Seems in one town, they hit a German police dog and it took a trip through the auger. Very nasty sight

[@wijo6234]

nah, some are still in use. some humans have been shredded due to not being careful when crossing in front of one, but that didn't get them banned. Larue still makes em, although they are seeing a rapid decline and are mostly seen at airports nowadays.

[@jasonsabourin2275]

@@wijo6234 Ya' mean they didn't shoot the blower after a human was being stupid, and died?.....* Where's the common sense in that, they kill animal's when humans are stupid with them* * sarcasm.

[@giannalynnwreckingco.7110]

There are many, many large snow blowers in use all across the US & Canada.

[@peterqualman4601]

@@giannalynnwreckingco.7110 a couple of winters ago I saw one in my own town pretty cool

[@rapman5791]

4:10 He’s taking the old lady with him on his route. 😂😂😂 She will keep him going through the night. 😮

[@robinchase2141]

That's what Calgary needs, a bunch of snow ploughs, especially for the big roads and highways.

[@thecraziestcanuck]

Oh Canada, how we love thee.....🇨🇦

[@grantjohnston5817]

Damn straight you can bet your touque on that!

[@claudelebel49]

I would like to know more about how this compares to present day.

[@williamkiely9523]

Chesterfield and Lucky Strikes I would imagine.

[@poochie49]

No. Not in Canada. More like Export A and Du Maurier.

[@jeff59rt]

Now we have SUVs 4 wheel drive Abs brakes Traction control Self driving cars 2" of snow and the roads are empty or have 60 car pileups What happened?

[@historicbeef]

Folks forgot how to drive. Have you ever driven a manual ? Not depreciating. Just saying.

[@jeff59rt]

@@historicbeef Yes many of my cars were manuals. I actually prefer it but is getting harder and harder to get one anymore. Used to have a 91 5.0 mustang and if you downshifted on a snowy road it would kick the rear end right out the same as pulling the ebrake....

[@christoy8464]

@@historicbeef people got dumber and can't drive

[@eduffy4937]

Idiots drivong faster than conditions allow.

[@jasonsabourin2275]

Scare Propaganda.

[@chraagyadav8913]

Finally 👽 🌻

[@acersalman8258]

Good machine

[@megatrends]

Tabarnak!

...and the office guys say, "We'll get it done."

[@SkyOfTheUniverse]

Wow

[@halon7476]

The Habs won many cups during that time

[@papabits5721]

Back when everyone smoked, and they dumped all the snow into the ST Lawrence River.

[@briansokoloski776]

As long as not full of of salt and sand

[@christoy8464]

@@briansokoloski776 good old days back when men were men women were women.

[@jasonsabourin2275]

@@christoy8464 .... And NO Cell Phones.

[@marioncobaretti2280]

Nothing wrong with that

[@marioncobaretti2280]

Gears compensated for lack of horsepower

[@junkboxxxxxx]

This must be the English dubbed version. The lips don't sync and even back then Anglos would not have said "St Dennis" 7:38

[@historicbeef]

It was made in Montréal. A French city. You have a good ear.

[@ianshand3739]

It does seem like the City of Montreal removes snow the most efficiently compared to other North American cities!

[@g.nor222]

We don't see that anymore in this city. Goddamn rain⛈ or no snow almost. Miss it.. Some likes it without snow, not me.

[@bsc4344]

Now all cities and towns do in MY area is dump tons of sand and corrosive alternative an plow maybe once a yesr. Too cheap to clear the black snow mounds

[@jasonsabourin2275]

Sometimes, I think Ted Kacynski might have been on to something.

[@SkySim]

Any Montrealers recognize the church at 6:37?

[@SomeTechGuy666]

No such thing as 4WD on normal vehicles back then. It was a different time. That Allis Chalmers grader is tiny compared to modern graders. Ditto the Michigan loader. Tiny single axle trucks. How times have changed.

[@jasonsabourin2275]

But..... There is WD40. ☝️😜🤭

[@ElEcodelTren]

anyone else here bc of Boards of Canada?

[@janetcohen9190]

Quite interesting to see. Thank you. In contrast: Seems since then humans have become feeble, innept, helpless

[@duanethomasdirtpile5737]

Imagine how many people they were in that equipment plow trucks shoveling froze their ass off men back then were a lot stronger than the men of today there ain't a man you could get in a vehicle without heat to plow

[@gb3pwood]

Vehicles had heaters then

[@duanethomasdirtpile5737]

You are correct they had something that simulated a heater but it never was much and if the winds were howling the cabs then weren't as tight as they are today today's machine you can stay warm in back then you're lucky enough if the motor could produce enough heat to have heat if the wind wasn't blowing in through the doors and the cab things were a lot different than sunshine the comfortability was not there I've learned from many old timers that plowed snow and the stories I heard was definitely not one of warmth but one of people freezing losing fingers and feet but who knows maybe they were just as warm as we are in our vehicles today

[@donnebes9421]

I spent the entire winter of 1993 driving a tractor trailer from Boston Massachusetts to Fulton ny and back every day with no heat. Bad economy, two kids and a wife at home, you do what you have to for a paycheck.

[@duanethomasdirtpile5737]

@@donnebes9421 I know what you're talking about I've been there that makes life miserable to live but you have to do what has to be done I've been there I drove an old Chevy bison tri axle for 10 years with no heat and very leaky cab end up so fucking cold your feet would get beyond the freezing you could never warm up it would seem like all winter long you were just freezing but at least you thought of your family and not yourself sometimes us dads must go above and beyond what it normally human being would not do just to put food on the table

[@donnebes9421]

@@duanethomasdirtpile5737 pretty funny, that old tractor was a Chevy bison.

[@adamwiggins9865]

Still the same... just less reliance on manpower and heated cabs

[@dwightarnold6980]

I REMEMBER WHEN I PLOWED SNOW 4 BALTIMORE COUNTY! IT WAS FUN THEN! NOW YOU CAN'T EVEN DRINK A FEW BEERS WHILE YOU GO FOR THE FAME AND GLORY! THAT WAS 21 YEARS AGO! SCREW THE POT TESTS AND ALCOHOL TESTS! WE GOT TH DAM JOB DONE! I RETIRED IN 2OO9 ! GLAD I COULD! AFTER 30YRs!

[@rogerdickinson920]

Auto car, the HDT folks would love to see them again, relics from the past. Cars in the streets, nothing has changed. Tow the bastards and charge them 1000$ this time and double the next.

[@terencewilliammckenna6121]

Wow