Eastern Ontario communities dig out from winter storm
Cities throughout eastern Ontario are continuing to dig themselves out after Monday’s winter storm.
In places like Kingston, so much snow meant neighbours were lending a helping hand to one another to get the work done.
When Ron Jacus woke up Tuesday morning, he found a plea, written by a neighbour.
“I saw my buddy write me a sign that said, ‘please blow this away,’” he laughed.
With snow up to the knees in his neighbour’s driveway, Jacus stepped in to help after the city was hit with 42 cm of snow on Monday.
“I heard them out here last night at about midnight doin’ it,” he said. “And I know he has a snow blower, but it was stuck in the back yard, so he couldn’t get at it.”
Jacus says it’s been a long time since he’s seen this much snow at once in Kingston.
“They work and they got a little one there,” he says. “I just figured I’d help them out, just doing the friendly thing because he’s my friend.”
With more snow on the way Tuesday night, the city warning that it could be a few days before everything is completely cleared away.
That had some like Brian Rogers pulling their cords on their snow blowers, clearing away sidewalks and snow around community mailboxes, so others could easily get around.
“It’s the neighbourly thing,” said Rogers. “We all stick together in Canada don’t we?”
Regions across eastern Ontario were hit with major snowfalls, with Environment Canada saying areas like Brockville also got 40 centimetres, while Pembroke got 25 cm. Ottawa saw nearly 48 cm.
DIG OUT YOUR HYDRANTS, CITIES ASK
Some municipalities are also asking residents to help clear snow from around fire hydrants, if there’s one nearby.
“With the snowfall we recently hand, many of the hydrants in our city have been covered,” said Brockville deputy fire chief Chris Paul. “We do have our city staff and public works working diligently to remove the snow from the sidewalks and roads, but if we can lend a helping hand, get out there and help clear a three-foot by three-foot space around your hydrant to assist because every second helps. If the fire department shows up and our hydrant is covered, we have to dig it out first.”
Paul adds most hydrants have marker flags attached to them to make them noticeable in high snowbanks.
The city of Brockville is asking residents to lend a helping hand and clear out space around local fire hydrants so that they're available in case of emergencies. Most hydrants have flag markers to make them identifiable even if they're buried in snow. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
DEVELOPING Live updates from the Trump hush money trial: Stormy Daniels, bookkeeper testify
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
Man accused of killing two children at Quebec daycare to stand trial in April 2025
The man accused of murdering two children and injuring six others after a city bus crashed into a Montreal-area daycare is scheduled to stand trial over five weeks beginning in April 2025.