Relentless snowstorm blankets Simcoe Muskoka
A relentless snowstorm forced the City of Barrie to declare a significant weather event on Monday, as school boards made the rare decision to close, and driving became treacherous.
Snow days aren't unusual living in the snow belt, but closing schools across the board is.
Pauline Stevenson, Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, said schools were closed because of the "severe weather and poor visibility" on the roads.
"It doesn't happen very often," she offered.
Environment Canada predicted the storm would bring five to 15 centimetres of the white stuff, with northwesterly winds whipping up to 60 km/h.
"This storm is a hard-hitter, but it's really a quick-hitter," said senior climatologist Dave Phillips. "It arrived on time, almost as if it was following a script. Very few areas are going to escape this."
City of Barrie crews are working around the clock, with all hands on deck for the snow removal department.
"We've initiated a second shift of employees, so we no longer have that where we shut down 13 hours into a storm to rest the snowplow operators, we can now go 24/7, and it makes things a little bit more efficient," said Dave Friary, City of Barrie.
The weather agency said motorists should expect tricky driving conditions into Tuesday morning and to plan accordingly.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.