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MASSIVE SNOWSTORM RIPS ACROSS PROVINCE
CHRISTOPHER SMITH christopher.smith@eap.on.ca
Ontario and Quebec were slammed with a Christmas snowstorm that closed highways and stranded residents. A massive snowstorm ripped through Ontario and Quebec just days before the Christmas weekend, plunging communities into darkness and causing severe auto accidents on major roads and highways. &NFSHFODZDSFXTXFSFPOTUBOECZPO hour rotations to respond to any issues that arose, and storm watches were in effect across Ontario. “There is a severe storm affecting our community,” stated a news release from 3VTTFMM5PXOTIJQJTTVFE%FDFNCFSi0VS fire and infrastructure teams are responding to issues as quickly as possible, there are power lines, utility poles, and trees down JONBOZBSFBTPGUIFDPNNVOJUZ8FBSF working with local and regional emergency services to get these hazards cleared.” Businesses closed and events were can celled across the United Counties of Prescott and Russell. Hawkesbury cancelled a free movie night, Champlain Township closed the FOUJSFUZPG$PVOUZ3PBECFUXFFO"MGSFE Plantagenet and Champlain, and several townships cancelled garbage collection that Friday. Cleanup crews were worried about the rain that began falling on Christmas Day, rain that would freeze once temperatures dropped again. &WFOCFGPSFJDFXBTBEEFEJOUPUIFNJY the storm was pushing cars offroad and into each other, leaving emergency responders scrambling to rescue drivers and families that were left adrift in snowbanks and slip pery roads. High winds and blowing snow resulted
Les habitants de Prescott-Russell ont été invités à rester à l’intérieur et à éviter les routes en raison de la visibilité réduite. - photo Gregg Chamberlain
in low visibility, prompting Ontario Provin cial Police (OPP) officers to close various stretches of the highway to traffic. &WFOUVBMMZ UIFFOUJSFTFDUJPOPG)JHIXBZ CFUXFFO0UUBXBBOEUIF2VFCFDCPSEFS was closed to all traffic in both directions, and drivers that attempted to use the highway were detained. i)JHIXBZJTDMPTFEJOCPUIEJSFDUJPOT from the Quebec border to Ottawa due to the poor weather and driving conditions,” the Ontario Provincial Police said in a tweet. i)JHIXBZSFNBJOTDMPTFEGSPN/PS thumberland to the Quebec border. If you
DPNFBDSPTTBOPOSBNQUIBUJTOPUCMPDLFE PGG %0/05FOUFSUIFIJHIXBZ*GZPVBSF driving on other roads and get stuck/in a collision there may be a significant delay for emergency services to respond.” Flights were grounded as soon as the weather picked up, and VIA Rail cancelled BMMUSBJOTJOUIF2VFCFD8JOETPSDPSSJEPSBT GBMMFOUSFFT GSP[FOTXJUDIFT BOECSPLFO down trains made tracks impassable. In one notable case, passengers were stranded on a train near the city of Cobourg for nearly IPVST BT DSFXT XPSLFE UP DMFBS UIF tracks enough for them to reach a station.
Passengers with medical conditions were removed by ambulance shortly into the stop, but food and water quickly ran out onboard, leading to outcry from concerned family members. There was plenty of warning for officials and emergency crews, so most of the damage was averted. Cleanup went smoothly after the weather settled, and a few days after things were back to normal. i8FBSFVQBSVOOJOHBUGVMMDBQBDJUZ BHBJO uTBJE5IF/BUJPO.BZPS'SBODJT#SJÍSF “The staff deserve a huge hand of applause, they were fantastic during the storm.”
NEW SAFE SNOWMOBILE CROSSING APPROVED
GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
When the winter rain stops and the snow falls again in Eastern Ontario, local and visiting snowmobilers will have a new and safe crossing for one of their roadside trails near Hawkesbury. One of the last decisions for the United $PVOUJFTPG1SFTDPUU3VTTFMM 6$13 DPVODJM before the Christmas break was to approve BSFRVFTUGSPNUIF&BTUFSO0OUBSJP4OPX NPCJMF$MVC &04$ GPSBQQSPWBMPGBOFX crossing point on the north side of the $PVOUZ3PBESJHIUPGXBZOFBSUIF&BTU Hawkesbury Airport site close to county road CPVOEBSZCFUXFFO)BXLFTCVSZBOE&BTU Hawkesbury Township. &04$T5SBJMPOUIFTPVUITJEFPGUIF county road has been a regular snowmo CJMFSTSPVUFGPSUISFFEFDBEFT"DVMWFSU replacement project by the UCPR last year GPSDFEUIF&04$UPMPPLBUSFMPDBUJOHUIF USBJMUPUIFOPSUITJEFPGUIFSPBE5IF&04$ decided this was a safer option rather than have snowmobilers detour around the culvert by going onto the shoulder of the county road and creating possible traffic accident risks. The new route would pass over an VOOBNFEDSFFL5IF&04$XBOUTUPCVJME BTUBOEBSETUFFMIFBWZEVUZTOPXNPCJMF crossing over the creek. The crossing bridge
Les motoneigistes locaux et de passage pourront continuer à utiliser le sentier 20 près de la limite de Hawkesbury et de Hawkesbury Est grâce à une entente entre le Club de motoneige de l’Est de l’Ontario et les Comtés unis de Prescott-Russell pour un nouveau site de traversée au-dessus d’un ruisseau près de l’aéroport de Hawkesbury Est, le long de la route de comté 17. —photo Gregg Chamberlain
would be good for at least three decades. 5IF&04$XBOUTUPCVJMEUIFQFSNBOFOU DSPTTJOHCSJEHFMBUFSJOBGUFSUIFTOPX is gone. For now, it asked the UCPR for permission to set up a temporary crossing in %FDFNCFSGPSUIFTOPXNPCJMJOH season. The temporary crossing involved VTJOHBTJYGPPUDVMWFSUQMBDFEJOUIFEJUDI
an important part of the local snowmobiling tourism sector. 5IF&04$XJMMPXOCPUIUIFUFNQPSBSZ and the later permanent crossing and be responsible for liability insurance coverage and also for any signage related to the new route and the creek crossing. UCPR council approved the request.
and covered with snow to allow snowmobi lers to cross over the creek without affecting the flow of water. The temporary crossing will help maintain the link between the snowmobile trails in UIF1SFTDPUU3VTTFMMSFHJPOXJUIUIPTFJO 2VÊCFD5IJTXJMMFOTVSFUIFDSPTTCPSEFS travel for snowmobiling at that point, which is
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