I think for the conditions you live in, they are a really good idea. I haven't owned a pair. My compromise -- because, remember, I lived in a small city when I lived in your climate, and our house was in the downtown core -- was a pair of those boots with vibram "Arctic Grip" -- I think mine were by Merrell but a bunch of companies now use this technology. However, that meant wearing the same boot on ice all the time, and also, while they helped on city streets, they would not have been enough for rougher conditions.
Friends of mine in Kingston tried Yaktrax and a bunch of other versions. They all do essentially the same thing. Most people like them a lot except they are better for country wear than city wear. If you are going in and out of stores, for example, you've got to take them off and put them back on -- kind of a pain.
