Snows blanket Atlantic Canada
By JIM FOX, Times Correspondent
Published January 6, 2008
Residents in Atlantic Canada are digging out from a fourth snowstorm in a week.
An additional 8 inches of snow piled up across southern New Brunswick, northern Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
In Moncton, there's more than 5 feet on the ground, four times that of last year, while there were only five snow-free days last month in Halifax.
Winds and blowing snow caused the closing of a section of the Trans-Canada Highway near the border between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
The Marine Atlantic ferry linking Newfoundland with Nova Scotia remained at its home port until the weather cleared.
"Every storm born in the United States or anywhere over North America - Alberta Clippers or Colorado Lows, Texas Depressions or whatever - seems to leave the continent via Atlantic Canada," said Environment Canada's David Phillips.
A snowstorm on Jan. 1 led to 300 collisions in southern Ontario, while Toronto has had 2 feet of snow, compared with less than an inch last year, and extreme cold wind chill at mid week.
Edmonton and Calgary were around freezing, while gusty winds knocked down trees and cut off power on Northern Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.
Snowfall is a windfall for some travelers
Thousands of Quebec travelers who booked vacations with itravel2000.com found the snow quite profitable.
A promotion by the online travel retailer offered refunds to customers if 5 inches of snow fell at one of four airports nearest them - Montreal, Toronto, Halifax or Calgary - on Jan. 1.
The company took out a "large" insurance policy that paid off as 5.8 inches of snow fell in Montreal, meaning "millions of dollars" in travel refunds for Quebeckers.
Travelers in Ontario, Alberta and Atlantic Canada were shut out, with Toronto coming the closest with 3.7 inches of snow.
News in brief
-Stockwell Day, minister of public safety, said the Canadian government is "pleased" the United States delayed implementation of passport requirements for travel by land and sea until June of next year. This allows more time for people to acquire passports and governments to work on plans for other secure identity documents, he said.
-The body of Jonathan Dion, 27, the latest Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan, has been returned to Canada. Dion, based in Valcartier, Quebec, was killed when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb. He was the 74th Canadian soldier to die in the conflict.
-A free public concert will be held Saturday at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall to honor Canadian jazz great Oscar Peterson, who died Dec. 23 at age 82. The 90-minute memorial tribute is also being broadcast live on CBC Radio.
Facts and figures
Canada's dollar started the New Year on a lower note, dipping on Friday to 99.86 cents U.S. while the U.S. dollar was worth $1.0015 Canadian, before bank exchange fees.
The Bank of Canada's key interest rate is steady at 4.25 percent while the prime lending rate is 6 percent.
Canadian stock markets are higher, with the Toronto Exchange index at 13,845 points and the TSX Venture Exchange at 2,855 points.
Lotto 6-49: Wednesday 4, 6, 7, 16, 32, 45; bonus 43. (Dec. 29) 7, 13, 16, 24, 35, 42; bonus 1. Super 7: (Dec. 28) 6, 7, 23, 25, 26, 31, 46; bonus 19.
Regional briefs
-A British Columbia man died while taking part in an icy New Year's Day tradition, the "Polar Bear" swim. Police suspect alcohol was involved in the death of the 44-year-old man in Trail. The unidentified man was wearing a plastic octopus on his head when he disappeared in the Columbia River.
-Pierre Boulanger, who headed Quebec City's 400th birthday celebrations, resigned just after the big year began. He had been criticized for failing to spark interest in the celebrations and accused of lacking transparency in the awarding of contracts. Daniel Gelinas, who runs the Quebec City summer festival, took over.
-Curtis Green, 29, a British Columbia skier, was killed in an avalanche on Whistler Mountain Tuesday. Police said the skier and a snowboarder, who was seriously injured, triggered the avalanche when they ventured into a closed section of the mountain.
Jim Fox can be reached at canadareport@hotmail.com.