With snowbanks at three metres plus all over the city, officials are warning that the snow isn't just a pain to shovel, it can also be potentially dangerous.
Ottawa paramedics and police are asking parents to monitor their children when playing outside because of the risk of falling off snowbanks or suffocating in a snow tunnel.
"Because it's so high, kids are attracted to it. They like to climb stuff," says J.P. Trottier of Ottawa Paramedic Services. But, he warns, children can fall off and into oncoming traffic.
Snow tunnels in the giant mounds can collapse at any time and bury someone inside. That's how a seven-year-old girl near Quebec City died last December.
"Be very careful about the weight and condition of the snow on top (of a snow tunnel). It could very easily collapse," said Trottier.
But children aren't the only ones who need to be cautious. For seniors, the risk is underfoot. Icy sidewalks and snow build-up can mean lots of slips and falls.
Even a threat of a storm is keeping seniors at home, according to Sharon Oatway of the Good Companions' Seniors' Centre. With the threat of another 30 to 50 centimetres of snow this weekend, the centre will be closed on Saturday.
This is not a good situation for anyone involved.
"You've got shut-ins who don't get to come out, it might be their only warm meal all week. As well as volunteers who don't get out to do their volunteer work," she said.
With a report from CTV's Joanne Schnurr
