Newfoundland Snow: Businesses Reel From Canadian City’s Extended State Of Emergency Call

Businesses and travel activities have been hit hard by nonstop snowfall in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada as the city reels from the announcement that the state of emergency call will be extended through Saturday.

According to CNN, Deputy City Manager of Public Works Lynnann Winsor acknowledged that the heavy snowfall has been a challenge to businesses in the city. Aside from travel restrictions due to the snow pile-up, some businesses are unable to restore operations yet.

On the other hand, some segments have received the green light to restart regular operations. Mayor Danny Breen said veterinarians, dental offices, health facilities, and medical institutes will start operating regularly on Friday morning.

Late last week, Environment Canada reported that St. John’s International Airport snow reaching 76.2 cm, marking a new record-high for the city. The previous record was 68.4 cm in 1999.

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has since started assisting residents in Newfoundland. Last week, the CAF said it will focus on assisting the elderly and people with health issues. Transportation will also be provided for people who need to be moved to emergency centers.

Photos and footage from the province showed cars and some infrastructure buried under snow. Some residents were also seen struggling to wade through thick snow that reached above their knees.

While the weekend saw less people on the streets, the situation appeared to be more manageable on Tuesday. Residents of St. John’s started were spotted leaving their homes for the first time since late last week, FOX News reported.

Grocery stores started filling up in the morning and some shops said they’ve run out of basic commodities such as bread as early as 10:30 a.m. Still, not too many cars were seen out in the streets.

Despite efforts to clear the snow, schools have not been ordered to resume throughout the week. Snow removal and street-clearing remains a challenge for the CAF, residents, and other volunteers working together to get rid of thick snow around homes and other buildings.

During a media briefing on Wednesday, Breen urged St. John’s residents to keep off the streets as much as possible. Authorities and volunteers are still working to ensure that drivers and pedestrians can safely use the roads, he said.

Breen added that while business operations are starting to resume, residents should stay indoors if they don’t have errands to fulfill outdoors, CTV News reported.

The next update regarding Newfoundland’s snow for almost a month is expected on Friday.