SAINT JOHN – A day after Saint John declared a local state of emergency in the city’s southern peninsula, people are making tireless efforts to move as much snow as possible as another storm approaches.
The latest storm is scheduled to bring more snow and wind to the area.
Saint John Mayor Mel Norton lives in the affected area and credits the entire community with helping each other out.
“There’s no other place in the province that has as many people packed into as tight an area as the south-central peninsula,” he said. “So we need to make sure that the emergency vehicles can get to those folks on those narrow streets especially over the next number of days.”
There is some concern about what to do with all the snow.
“A little more than fed up,” said resident Parker Cogswell. “But, I mean, it is what it is but it’s just frustrating there’s no where to put the snow.”
“We’re going to try to get to it now, before it ends up being so overwhelming,” said resident Andre Gallant. “Try to clear it a bit and then not be so overwhelmed the next morning.”
The cost of removing the snow can carry a heavy price tag, especially for an already cash-strapped city. Norton said the city won’t know for a few months how the budget will be affected.
He added that assistance from other levels of government may be a possibility.
“More importantly, for Saint John, it’s the ability to access resources that we would not normally have. We’re able to get a hold of equipment and personnel and get the job done much quicker than we normally would be able to do,” he said.
Norton said there is still no date for when the state of emergency will be lifted, especially with the recent weather forecast.
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