Saskatoon’s fifth-coldest February on record has led to a surge in bus cancellations, rink closures and vehicle battery replacements.
The average temperature in Saskatoon has been roughly five degrees Celsius warmer than the monthly record of -29 set in February 1936.
Saskatoon Public Schools (SPS) and Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools have each had six bus cancellations in Saskatoon in 2019 – five of which occurred in February.
The number is abnormally high for an entire year, let alone a single month. Last year, SPS had zero division-wide cancellations.
“In speaking with my colleagues, it is fair to say that we have not seen a year with so many cancellations in recent memory,” spokesperson Veronica Baker said in an email.
School buses are automatically cancelled for the entire day when Environment Canada reports temperatures of -45 degrees or colder, including wind chill.
“This year is truly unusual,” Baker said.
Daily attendance at the Cameco Meewasin Skating Rink fell in February due to the cold, according to Meewasin Valley Authority CEO Andrea Lafond.
There have been 250 to 350 people at the rink per day on average, compared to around 500 people who participated per day last year.
In February, crews closed the Meewasin rink five times: for two full days and three evenings.
“People are brave. We did still get decent numbers in February with those cold temperatures,” Lafond said.
February has proven lucrative for any shop selling car batteries and other winter-related parts. The Wyant Group of car dealerships has seen battery sales triple to quadruple depending on the battery brand.
“This February has been very frustrating for residents being so cold, but it has been quite hot at the Wyant Group in many regards,” Jubilee Ford Jared Bond said.
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