Winter in Winnipeg begins in November and, like your brother-in-law, the snow hangs around until April. We normally get 50 inches of snow over the winter. A lot of winter activities keep the population busy with curling, hockey, snowmobiling, skating and hobbies. So, when the radio announced we were getting a storm, no one paid much attention. The snow started at midnight and many Winnipeggers went about their business as usual - after all, it’s only snow. However the snow continued to fall. Before it blew itself out, an accumulation of over a foot and a half of snow was recorded.

Those hardy souls who dutifully went to work were to find themselves trapped in stranded buses, offices or workstations. Many hundreds of others sought refuge in Eaton’s and the Bay’s downtown stores. They were to spend the night there. In the morning, to their undying gratitude, smiling staff had complimentary coffee ready. (Breakfast was extra). Some tough citizens simply braved the storm and walked home. The ever-present prairie wind was a killer, with gusts nearing 90 km/hour. The resulting huge snow drifts made the roads and sidewalks impassable.

The city decreed that snow machines could be used on city streets for emergencies. We had rented a little house on a small crescent off Portage Avenue, close to The Viscount Gort. The St. James bridge was clearly visible out our back window and a steady stream of snowmobilers could be seen crossing the bridge loaded down with cases of beer from the vendor. I guess there are a variety of opinions as to what is considered an “emergency”. The funniest thing we saw was two young men struggling in the deep snow, as they pulled a toboggan loaded with empties to the vendor at the Gort. Their efforts were rewarded, as we later noticed them crossing the bridge in the other direction, with three cases of beer balanced precariously on the toboggan.

Saturday morning presented us with a clear blue sky day and a lot of shovelling. As we had a 1-year-old daughter, we needed milk but due to storm shortages, milk was rationed and only available for children. I dutifully loaded my willing daughter on her toboggan and we slogged through the snow to present ourselves at the local store for our rations.

There have been many winter storms since. But somehow this one sticks in our memory.

Ken Kristjanson
March 4, 2022