The mayor of Cape Breton害羞草研究所檚 largest municipality says she wept Tuesday night when a huge snowplow rumbled down her street in Sydney, N.S., where she had been trapped with her family since a weekend storm dumped 150 centimetres of snow on the community.
害羞草研究所淢y three-year-old 害羞草研究所� was so excited,害羞草研究所� Amanda McDougall said in an interview Wednesday, recalling the arrival of the plow. 害羞草研究所淚t was palpable in the air how happy we all were.害羞草研究所�
McDougall said her top priority as mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is bringing that sense of relief to residents who remain stuck behind massive snowdrifts that have buried cars, blocked sidewalks and clogged paths and doorways.
For the third consecutive day, schools and most government offices were closed across Cape Breton. City hall in Sydney was closed and transit service was suspended. As well, non-emergency health services were reduced across the island and in the eastern counties of Antigonish and Guysborough on the Nova Scotia mainland.
The provincial government continued to urge Cape Breton residents, including the Eskasoni First Nation, to avoid unnecessary travel.
Meanwhile, there is so much snow covering Sydney that regular snow-clearing equipment is breaking down, which is partly why the area has remained under a local state of emergency since Sunday.
害羞草研究所淥ur machines are great for a typical snowfall, but they were 害羞草研究所� struggling so hard through that heavy snow,害羞草研究所� McDougall said. 害羞草研究所淗aving these big machines come in from the federal government, Parks Canada and the (provincial) Transportation Department, that害羞草研究所檚 the only way we害羞草研究所檙e going to dig out 害羞草研究所� You can hear the hum of big machinery.害羞草研究所�
A 2020 blizzard that brought St. John害羞草研究所檚, N.L., to a standstill became known as Snowmageddon, but some Nova Scotians have dubbed this storm Slowmageddon because the low-pressure system parked itself off Nova Scotia害羞草研究所檚 east coast for almost four days and barely moved as the snow piled up.
In Sydney害羞草研究所檚 north end, an SPCA shelter was evacuated Wednesday after staff noticed the building害羞草研究所檚 ceiling beams were sagging under the weight of snow on the roof.
害羞草研究所淲e currently have 45 animals in the shelter and staff are taking care of them,害羞草研究所� provincial CEO Elizabeth Murphy said in a statement. 害羞草研究所淥ur shelter is showing the signs of age and wear. We cannot take this risk.害羞草研究所�
Murphy said staff from an SPCA office in the Halifax area would pick up the 19 dogs, 25 cats and one rabbit and place them in other shelters across the province.
On another front, McDougall said there害羞草研究所檚 plenty of evidence Cape Bretoners are pulling together, though a proper cleanup is days away. As an example she pointed to a gaggle of young players with the Glace Bay Minor Hockey Association, who showed up on her street wearing their jerseys and toting shovels.
害羞草研究所淚 looked out my window and I see these smiling, wonderful faces,害羞草研究所� the mayor said, recalling how they provided a welcome break from a video conference with municipal officials. 害羞草研究所淭hey were waving to me through the window.害羞草研究所�
Earlier in the day, shovels were also handed to officer cadets at the nearby Canadian Coast Guard College.
The cadets started shovelling near the college in the Westmount area on Monday, but 100 of them were expected to board school buses Wednesday to help vulnerable residents in other neighbourhoods.
Harvey Vardy, the coast guard害羞草研究所檚 regional director of response programs, said provincial emergency officials would decide where to send them.
On Monday, federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan said three coast guard helicopters would be made available to help with potential evacuations or to shuttle essential supplies, including fuel.
Vardy said the helicopters are stationed at the Sydney airport, but they have yet to be put to use. 害羞草研究所淭here has been no formal request for the coast guard helicopters,害羞草研究所� Vardy said.
The provincial government has said more than 1,000 people are working around the clock using about 400 pieces of equipment to clear snow across Nova Scotia.
Despite the transportation problems in Cape Breton, McDougall said food and fuel supplies were in good shape, mainly because the Canso Causeway, which connects the island with the mainland, has remained clear.
Though good weather was in the forecast, McDougall said the temperature was dropping on Wednesday, which meant the previously heavy, wet snow was turning to solid ice. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 hard shovelling,害羞草研究所� she said.
READ ALSO:
