STORM OF 2024? STAY CALM — WE’RE CANADIAN, EH!

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

GRAVENHURST — You know the weather is getting better when the forecasters are wrong again.

Huntsville and Lake of Bays only receive 6 of 30 cms predicted last night. But they were ready for the worst in north Muskoka after their southern neighbours horrendous experience.

Getting dug out after days of working from home was like being released from COVID.

Here are some “Seen in passing…” moments, observations — chats and random thoughts or rather streams of consciousness as I plowed through town here the past couple days.

From frontline workers to those struck on the highway everyone’s plows pushed back the curtain on how life works and your part in it as broken off bumpers lie half buried in mounding core snowbanks.

Paul Campbell, a wisened plow driver with JAC Property Management, said “It’s life in Muskoka and life in the northern part of Canada.” Photos Mark Clairmont

“It’s bad all over,” said Paul Campbell, who plows for JAC Property Management in Bracebridge. But more so in Gravenhurst.

“But that’s Muskoka. That’s what we get when we live here and get these lake effect squalls from Georgian Bay.

“It’s life in Muskoka and life in the northern part of Canada.”

Nothing quite the likes of hurricanes and tornadoes, he agreed.

“It’s just something people have to be patient with. They just have to understand it.”

Campbell, who has the weathered look and wisened memory of countless stormy round the clock shifts, says the “it’s difficult for machine operators. Lots of people are blocking roads and parking lots.

“And there again you can’t totally blame them because not everyone up here is use to it. They move in from southern Ontario and they don’t understand. They think snow is like what we get on a Christmas card, fluffy and looks pretty. And it does. But when we get this much snow it doesn’t turn to pretty — it turns to danger.”

Tim Smith turns his welder’s torch to a broken plow part, which he says happens a lot with all the heavy lifting this week.

He said “they’ve been working day and night since Thursday and the crew is tired.”

Provincial law orders 13 hours maximum of work and eight to 10 off.

“And you can’t be in a vehicle or be driving your own private vehicle when you’re off. You have to be resting in a safe place.”

Time behind the wheel has to be in a log book.

And he said that with the number of big rigs going off back roads there are only so many tow trucks large enough to pull them out. Campbell thinks there’s maybe only three that size in Muskoka now, including at Northland Towing.

To operate a pickup truck with a plow, he said, you only need a G licence, but for bigger plows and loaders it’s at least a GZ licence. That makes finding drivers harder to keep plows running 24/7.

“But in all honesty, the authorities are pretty lenient during the winter time and during emergencies like this.”

He was parked in the Prestige Property Management lot next to CTC at the south end of Gravenhurst, where welder and mechanic Tim Smith, of Wrenchin’ Muskoka, had his torch fired up on broken plow blade, which he said happens more than you’d think with the constant pressure snow puts on them.

Indeed, a snow blower from York Region was spotted this morning stopped to clear snow from its blade with the help of a fellow seconded driver in town for the storm.

A York Region snow blower operator gives the thumbs up this morning as he clears snow from his sharp-edge cutting blades.

While some people have been a tad testy, sounds of laughter have been heard on streets and from kids on hills oblivious to adult concerns notably from those cursing a blue streak aimed at no one in particular.

Anxiety and frustration aren’t unusual.

Put your hand up if you got up early this week to shovel, plow or blow your drive to get ahead of mounting day and night blizzard-like conditions.

Many driveways are amazingly clean and cleared. Good on those who’ve done that.

Chiropractors will love you next week.

And while the town asked people to stay home, they plowed sidewalks. Hmm!

Brilliant sun and melting snow the first day after made it sloppy and choppy due to ice patches left over. But road de-icers are on their way now.

And Emergency Management Services plows called in are cutting some sharp-edged street lanes as well as keeping corners cleared and intersections more visible.

Lot of people glad they got snow tires early this year and didn’t wait.

This old timer looks as if he’s seen and experienced all this before. But for many it’s their first time. And oh, boy!

While winters past are often hard to recall — even just 2022 and as far back as the worst one in recent memory in 2009 when just over 100 cms fell — many may not soon forget where they were when the storm of 2024 hit?

Gravenhurst has dealt with 65 downed trees. Bent over trees now that didn’t come down also took a pounding. Will this help moisturize ground winterizing it and prepping it for spring rebirth?

Glass man Bob Thompson said today he can’t remember a winter like this.

Snowbanks are piled near roof height.

One obvious old-timer in a Muskoka formal red-checked jacket and orange hunting cap and seen leaning on his cane on main street, was at ease standing amid snowbanks up to his shoulders. He seemed calm, smiling as if he’d seen all this before.

Meanwhile many are running and around and driving back up to speed.

Others stuck behind snow blowers are ramming and shaving and pushing snow blowers through heavy drifts as if sheer force of will makes them work faster.

On major streets almost every second or third vehicle is a truck, van, plow or Ontario Hydro vehicle going one way or the other.

A piece of advice, make sure you have treads on your boots so you don’t fall — like I did twice.

Weston Cook, a Coon Bros. plower, has been working hard for days and even he got stuck and had to be pulled out by his boss.

Still some plows have had to make quick work of drives to get to as many jobs as they can, even as they couldn’t reach some rural customers because many main roads weren’t open or accessible due to Hwy. 11 being closed for the better part of 72 hours.

Bare pavement eventually emerged beneath some many arteries as sirens continued to be heard in distant parts of town.

Spotting hydro pole trucks, huge work vans, TV and cable trucks show how import the communication network. Luckily cellphones and streaming services kept people in touch and maintained sanity.

Gravenhurst did open the Centennial Centre as a hot house to those in need early on, Mayor Heidi Lorenz emphasized, but resident’s weren’t encouraged to venture out needlessly.

But many without heat and power were welcomed.

As were a few who availed themselves of special services provided by the province’s Emergency Management Services due to the town’s state of emergency declaration Sunday at 2:30 a.m.

Town staff and the province called in two key partners to the Terry Fox Auditorium.

Stefan Mueller and Global Medic, a private NGO with world disaster experience, was sent in by Ontario with two others to set up bedding in one half of the upstairs room.

Stefan Mueller, of Global Medic, had 30 uncomfortable stretcher cots available with more at the ready if needed. Luckily none needed to be used.

They had a dozen of the 30 stretcher cots they brought spread out on the floor with blankets and pillows.

Though he had to admit lying six inches off the floor wouldn’t be too comfortable.

Fortunately most people either stuck on the highway found hot accommodation with the help of victim services. While other drivers who dropped in didn’t have to sleep overnight.

The other key partner on hand where Terry Fox celebrated his final birthday, was Lieutenant Brandon Keeping, the core officer and south Muskoka minister for the south Muskoka Salvation Army ministry.

Lieutenant Brandon Keeping was called in with his Muskoka team to set up a soup kitchen and distribute food and their brand new disaster relief truck.

He and his team were on top of the arena site Monday afternoon to run the soup kitchen and provide 128 boxes of food to hand out to anyone in need.

With him he brought Sally Ann’s brand new, week-old emergency food van to be stationed in at Bracebridge as part of a network of similar vehicles positioned across the province.

Keeping says it’s going to be used on a regular outreach basis in Muskoka, but will be available locally whenever called upon.

A second similar truck stationed in Orillia was brought up by Brody Fisher, a Division Salvation worker from Burlington who drove up Monday to the Mariposa town to pick the truck up. But he and another worker had to take the long way around Hwy. 400 and through Bala to get to Gravenhurst because Hwy. 11 was closed.

He eventually took it down to the Beaver Ridge trailer park to offer food and assistance Wednesday.

About 20 people had been able to be served at the community centre.

Meanwhile, yesterday’s further accumulation of about 10 cms of snow was being dealt with today with relative ease.

Sort of a calm before the next storm that is thankfully a bit away with rain on the way Monday.

Which Gravenhurst will be a little more prepared for as flurries are still forecast for at least the next few days in to the weekend.

Keeping had his Bracebridge trailer stocked with 128 boxes of food, each 20 pounds of essentials including tuna and milk that is long-lasting, which were provided by Ontario’s Emergency Management Services.
The Salvation Army’s Orillia-based support truck headed to Beaver Ridge trailer park to provide support and food Tuesday.

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