LOWER SACKVILLE, NS – It was another day of snow and rain in Nova Scotia. The weather sent many people back to the stores in search of salt and other snow and ice clearing equipment. But only a lucky few – found what they were looking for.
A quick check of the spot where salt is usually kept at Payzant’s Home Building Products in Lower Sackville, reveals that there is none left. It’s almost impossible to keep it in stock.
“Having the storms so close together it creates such a demand that you know, we run short,” says Wendell Lucas of Payzant’s. “It lasts two,three days, and then it’s gone again.”
“They got signs up, no salt, no sand.They say it’s coming. Short supply,” says customer Rod Gillis.
Shovels, ice choppers and other snow clearing devices are also flying off the racks in almost every store that carries them.
“As fast as we get them in they’re gone,” says Lucas. “we just got a shipment in on Tuesday. We’ll probably be sold out of them within the next day or two.”
Sales of ice choppers are way up over previous years, says Lucas.
Rod Gillis bought one, but he was also looking for a metal shovel.
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“I was looking for an aluminum square mouth shovel and I went to everywhere – there is none – none in the city.”
Global News found a few – at Dartmouth Surplus – where Pat Reilly was restocking. It wasn’t long before a customer picked one up.
“I was going around town and I looked everywhere – this snowstorm and last — and I couldn’t find a decent sized shovel,” says Sebastien Lanteigne. He adds, “This will do just fine.”
“It’s going really good in terms of shovel sales. We just got a load of a couple of hundred in and they seem to be in short supply in the city. We’ve had a lot of people in buying the past few days,” said Reilly when asked about business.
Where the snow blowers usually sit, there are barbecues at Payzants. They’re sold out ’til next year, but Dartmouth Surplus has small snow throwers.
“We don’t have too many of the bigger ones left – just some of the smaller ones,” says Reilly, “but they’re still good for clearing sidewalks.”
When it comes to salt, Dartmouth Surplus is in the same boat as many others.
“We’ve had a hard time getting hold of salt,” notes Reilly, who has the shovels placed near the display of golf clubs. Hopefully it won’t be long before he starts selling them, for everyone’s sake.
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