"I love it," Montreal resident Caroline Hervochon told AFP.

"It's been a long time since we had a big snowfall like that. I really like it. People are super happy. It's so beautiful," she said. "It really feels good."

A winter storm started blanketing the capital Ottawa Wednesday evening, as well as major cities Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City.

It brought a "significant snowfall," or up to 30 centimeters (one foot) of snow overnight Wednesday to Thursday, according to Canada's weather service.

And another 40 cm of snow was forecast for the next 24 hours, with wind gusts of up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) per hour causing blowing snow and limiting visibility.

Airlines cancelled or delayed flights at Canada's largest airport in Toronto.

Across the region, hundreds and hundreds of snow ploughs were busy clearing streets and highways.

People were spotted going out with shovels two or three times in just a few hours to shovel sidewalks over and over. Officials advised Canadians to take frequent breaks and avoid strain.

According to weather officials, the average amount of snow falling in eastern Canada has been mostly trending down in recent years.

Jean Bouchard noticed, saying when AFP caught up with him clearing his driveway: "Over the years, probably with global warming, there is a lot less snow than before."

"In fact, we look forward to (snowstorms) now, because there are few of them," he said.

Chiara Letizia, a university professor whose classes were cancelled for the day, commented: "I'm happy. For me, snow is like a party."

"I think it's great and fun. It's time to get out your winter sports gear. It's good for morale," added Leila Gillespie-Cloutier, as she skied along a Montreal street.