MONTREAL — Canadian Gilbert Cardin worries about the future of the ice road he maintains every winter on a frozen river west of Montreal.
“At some point, it is certain that we will no longer be able to open if these mild winters continue,” he tells AFP.
Since February 14, the 900-meter-long path, cleared of snow and marked with fir trees, has allowed motorists to travel between two villages on opposite sides of the Ottawa River without having to drive 40 kilometers (25 miles) roundtrip to the nearest bridge.
Such ice roads — or “winter crossings” as they’re called by Quebec locals — were once commonplace in these parts.
In the 1800s one even carried the weight of loco…
Keep on reading: Warmer winters threaten Canada’s seasonal ice roads