City Shovels Out From Winter’s Worst
Posted March 5, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
They were out early and often on Wednesday, and no matter where you were you saw them – tired and weary home and business owners digging, plowing and even brooming off their driveways, front porches and sidewalks. The scene was repeated all over the GTA and depending on the size of your driveway, it took either minutes or hours.
There were two big problems with this exercise in tedium – the snow was heavy and wet, making it hard to move, and it was coming down so hard at times that minutes after you’d finished, you had to go out and start all over again.
If the driveways were impossible, the sidewalks were almost impassible. The ones downtown were filled mostly with slush and water. But those in the suburbs that had yet to see a plow had a different problem – they were splashed with ice and covered up by snow, making it difficult to see the hazards underfoot.
All these heavy winter coatings have led to a big increase in reports of people falling. EMS crews have responded to some 6,000 calls since December, up 17 per cent from last year.
“I’m looking forward to spring,” sighs Horace Reda, as he shovels another handful from his house in Vaughan.
Patrick Lau agrees. “[It’s] the longevity of it,” he gripes. “Being so long, that’s for sure. And you know, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to end, you know what I mean? You get one snowfall and another one and they’re so tight together and that’s the worst thing.”
Still, he’s trying to look on the bright side. “It’s good exercise,” he smiles. “This is more than I get out and I get the exercise. So I like it.”
Most won’t agree with that assessment of the seemingly endless chore. And there’s more to come. We’re expecting flurries on Thursday and the potential of another 5-10 centimetres overnight Friday into Saturday.
