January 2017 began with not only snowploughs rumbling by far too early in the morning for sleeping-in, but time after time filling in driveways with churned up murky chunks of snow throughout the day. All these downfalls of snow and freezing rain combined with treacherous roads alerted me to a few other storms I’ve had to deal with.
A snowstorm on January 12, 1999, the third one in only three weeks was just too much for the unshakable city. Toronto was hit with a disastrous dumping that was unprecedented in its scope. It was often referred to as the Blizzard of the Century. The most entertaining and unimaginable iconic image in Toronto history was the mayor’s connection. Here was Mayor Mel Lastman, imitating like Hulk Hogan after another wrestling victory, with his fist pumping up and down, while riding in an army tank not long after he called in the troops to fight the snow storm.
An impressive sight but one that also proved to be the GTA’s most embarrassing moment. Toronto was paralyzed by snow banks so high they had reached the second storey of some houses. The snow-covered bus shelters were not user-friendly. As well, it brought outdoor sections of the subway to a frigid halt. Few vehicles ventured out and those that did were quickly marooned. More than 400 soldiers and 128 military vehicles arrived from CFB Petawawa. Was it an invasion many wondered? The troops came ready to help stranded travellers, transport the sick to hospital and clear catch basins to prevent future flooding. Volunteers came from far away as Prince Edward Island. Their thanks some thought, was a punishment – being sent to a Toronto Maple Leafs game.
I lived in the east-end, north of the 401 and worked in the west end near Lake Ontario. I left for work that morning without anticipating any problems. It was a usual 45-minute trip, but coming home was chaotic. The snow began in the morning and there was so much that every artery in every direction was snarled. I left work at 3:30 p.m. and made it to my driveway at 9:45 p.m., over 6 hours in mind-numbing jam-packed traffic. One roadblock after another, where cars and buses were blocking traffic, I had to turn and find another congested route for the umpteenth time. When I eventually pulled up to my house, I vividly recalled my wife saying, “Your supper is cold.” My response would not have been a nice one but I didn’t have the energy to speak!
Lastman’s move took the entire country by storm but warmed up the hearts of Toronto-haters nationwide. They labelled the city as winter weather wimps. But the shrewd mayor was unmoved. “If things are bad, I don’t want to take any chances,” he avowed. “I will not risk the lives of people in Toronto.” I doubt if there were that many lives at risk. As for the weather wimp title? The city received 118 centimetres during that brutal January. But the following year, St. John’s, Newfoundland got an improbable 648 cm for the winter — and the army stayed home.
Later on, I relocated to Wasaga Beach which was known for suffering unexpected and wicked squalls off Georgian Bay. One hit overnight and left so much snow that it buried cars in driveways. No work today. It soon became an almost make-believe scenario, so dissimilar from Toronto’s storm. Everyone was on the street out shovelling, helping others and in such a jovial mood. Some went inside to make snacks to supplement the mugs of coffee available. A few men had a flask of rum ‘on the hip’ that was generously shared. One widowed man lowered his shovel and remarked, “I haven’t had so much fun since my wife was with me.”
My most exciting winter was when I was still in elementary school. The snow was so high and firm you could walk onto our veranda roof. The entranceway to the house caused a feeling of claustrophobia. We also had tunnels dug, each bringing an element of adventure. Could this be like living in the Yukon?!
Winter weather is a great metaphor for life — sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad, and there’s nothing much you can do about it but camp inside like a hermit or boogie in the snow!
