First off... not sure is the Canadian manual is different from the US one, but my manual has a specific section about using chains and the do's and don'ts while using them. Page 4 - 9.
Not sure if you've ever used chains before and so if you're well schooled on the matter then the below is a good read for anyone not as well versed in using chains. I've needed to use chains a number of times... I drive through high mountain passes routinely in the winter. And in a former life I delivered pizza in Whistler through one of their snowy-est years on record. The following are rules that should be followed if you'd like to make it through the mountains:
#1 - You should not, ever, be trying to drive through a mountain pass in the winter on 225/45R17 all/season or summer tires, unless they are performance winter tires. Go get some 16 inch steelies and winter tires. Even if you're only going to use them once every couple of years, throw them onto some steelies, put them on for the trip, then take them off and store them for the next trip, they'll last a long time that way. The hassle and cost will pale in comparison to the other potential possibilities. Otherwise don't go. You'll only be endangering other people and they're families.
#2. Once you've got your winter tires on and have your chains in hand, go find a parking garage or somewhere well lit, dry and somewhat warm and practice putting them on and taking them off a few times. No matter what anyone says about how easy any type of chains are to put on and take off, once you're on the side of the road and it's way below freezing, windy, with snow and fog and you're parked on a mixture of dirty ass ice, sand, salt and snow, it gets much more difficult to put them on. Depending on the situation it can be stressful and scary. I've had to put them on in a situation where it I was on a small incline and it was so slippery I could barely stand... I had to reverse the car onto the chains because if I tried to move forward, the car would slide backward and sideways a few feet. Good idea to mention here that you should practice reversing onto your chains as well as diving forward onto them.
#2. Rubber is not a replacement for chains. If you need to use chains, it's because you've run into road conditions where even your proper winter tires can't handle the situation. Anyway, most of the time, they'll close the road before it gets to the point where you'll need to use chains, or if you've made it through, there may be a check point where they'll stop you and tell you to put chains on... or none of that may happen and you may have to rely on your own ability to read the road conditions and make decisions accordingly... I've been through all of these situations. If you've never done traction tests, once you get to the snow, every once in a while, first make sure there is no one directly behind you or near you, and do some break checks... dabbing or giving more and more force until you feel the wheels lock up/anti-lock kick in. Not only will this help you determine how fast you can drive, but if you lock up with just just small amount of pressure, it may be time for chains.
If you get to the point where traction at even low speeds is becoming such an issue that you need to install the chains, try and do this in a pull-out or rest stop if one is available and doesn't have too much snow in it... or at least try for a longish straight stretch (or course sometimes you may not have much of a choice in the matter). (It should also be mentioned here that if you are travelling through and area that requires you carry chains, you should also have a proper emergency kit, with space blankets for every member of the family.) Ok, time to suck it up, be a man and put your chains on. Put your flashers on, put your winter jacket, boots, gloves, beenie and high-vis vest on and clean off your flashers/lights. Place your flares and/or triangles a good distance behind your car... if you are near a corner, put it/them around the corner... give people lots of time to slow down. If you're putting chains on, the weather may be such that other cars will be having trouble seeing anything, so you need to make sure your car and you are easily seen. Got them on? Good, yay for you! (Hopefully you remembered you only need them on the front wheels with a front wheel drive car, if you have an all wheel drive or rear wheel drive car, you need them on all the wheel, yes that means buying two sets or chains). Now drive forward a few dozen feet, get back out and ensure those bastards are tight.
Now comes one of the shittest driving experiences ever... driving with chains on... it will be noisy and it will feel and sound like the chains are destroying your car. They are not... hopefully. You should only be driving 30 to 40 mph max and for a the shortest amount of time as possible... until you've passed through the extreme section of road. Don't drive with chains on visible pavement, you'll risk breaking them, which will in turn, break your car.
Have fun and be safe!!
