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Sault memories
Jo Bumbacco Jo Bumbacco ·

Have the past couple days been feeling a little familiar? Though it's not even close to the amount we got dumped on us in 1995, it sure feels like we're making up for the past 2 relatively snow-less winters.

From December 9th-11th, 1995, the Sault saw one of it’s worst snowstorms in recent memory. Over a three-day period, over 144 cm of snow was dumped on the city, virtually shutting it down as clean-up crews worked 16-hour shifts to clear as much as they could.

Snowplows were on the roads from the time the storm began, and in some spots along Highway 17 near Batchewana had to be pulled from the roads due to zero visibility. Main arteries were the first to be cleared, while side streets were often too filled or rutted to be worked on until the storm gave way. Schools on both sides of the river were closed indefinitely, and even OLG employees had an extended weekend due to the storm. City busses were pulled off the roads while Checker Cab managed to operate, though business was understandably slow.

Sault Search and Rescue volunteers spent the weekend ferrying hospital staff to and from work in ATVs, and the sheer amount of snow made it near impossible to find anywhere to even put it once it was cleared. No state of emergency was declared as Mayor Fratesi saw it. No additional aid would have been offered to the city, unlike our twin neighbor to the south.

All in all, the Sault still hasn’t seen so much fall in such a short amount of time, though the 2014-2015 season saw more snow overall for the entire season.

Sourced from the Sault Star: December 9th-13th 1995.

www.oldsoo.ca
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