CALGARY- The quiet stillness of the early morning was shattered by the sounds of huge trees crashing down around Calgary.
Elbow Park resident Byron Grant says he’s never seen anything like it.
“Never this bad. I thought it was bad yesterday, but this was much worse.”
Many Calgarians woke up to a shocking scene on Wednesday: the sight of vehicles smashed by towering trees that had come down overnight, buckled by the weight of heavy snow. One man even saw a tree come tumbling right through the roof of his Willow Park home.
“I heard this crash on the house, and I was scared because I was afraid the house was broken,” says Stan Kwasniowski.
That loud noise was the sound of a decades-old poplar tree crashing through the ceiling of his living room.
“I am not sure what we are going to do with this tree,” he says. “I am scared of this tree.”
City streets were littered with limbs, prompting homeowners to join forces to help busy city crews.
“We had some activity here yesterday, so they cleaned up and we assisted the city guys with it,” remembers Les Kosar, who lives along Sifton Boulevard in southwest Calgary. “And then jeepers creepers, look at this crap today. It’s pretty brutal here and it’s only getting worse.”
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While a plea has gone out asking people to shake the snow off of the fragile trees, there are also safety concerns.
“Safety first,” warns Troy McLeod, director of roads for the City of Calgary. “If you don’t have training and whatnot, allow our crews to do that. They are trained. And just to be safe look out for each other and help your neighbour.”
Calgarians are urged to call 911 if there is a threat to public safety such as a downed tree on a power line.
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