by the Guelph Mercury
Hundreds of people have spent a cold night huddled in vehicles awaiting rescue along a snow-clogged stretch of highway in southwestern Ontario.
Police in Sarnia, Ont., said drifting snow and zero visibility had trapped about 300 people in some 360 vehicles since Monday on Highway 402 between Sarnia and County Road 22, about 30 kilometres east of the city.
Emergency Management Ontario had issued a Red Alert late Monday for the area because of the snow and lack of visibility. Provincial police Const. Chrystal Jones said early Tuesday that plows were pulled off the roads on Monday, “so the snow is piling up.”
There haven’t been any serious injuries, but there were a couple of minor injury collisions but Jones says they got those people to safety.
“We have snowmobiles assisting us, both volunteers and also OPP snowmobiles that have been travelling Highway 402 speaking with people who are stranded and in some cases getting them to emergency shelters.”
Police were also making arrangements to get more resources into the area if the storm continues. Some people caught by the storm have taken refuge at a Tim Hortons doughnut shop east of Sarnia and just south of the blocked highway. Day manager Jody Mattson said some people who arrived at the shop early Monday were still there as of 4 a.m. Tuesday.
“We’ve had people from seven o’clock yesterday morning _ they’re still the same people,” she told The Canadian Press in a telephone interview. Mattson said a couple of buses had arrived to take people into a nearby town since Monday, but about 40 people had remained in the store. She said they are all “holding up fine” and being fed by staff who were also stranded by the powerful storm.
“They’re good _ we’ve been giving them coffee and feeding them donuts.”
Mattson added that she expected to remain stranded for several more hours and that police had asked them to “hold tough” until the situation is resolved.
“It’s really blowing still _ the drifts are big and nobody could drive in the parking lot.”
Lambton County Warden Steve Arnold made the emergency declaration at 9:45 p.m. Monday so they could get some assistance from Ottawa.
“They can apply for some federal resources through the military and get some men and equipment to help in their work,” he said.
Motorists were encouraged to tune into local radio station CHOK AM1070, FM 106.3 or FM 99.9 to get the latest rescue updates. Motorists were also encouraged to stay in their vehicles and consider pooling resources until rescuers get to them. Police also say they should also make sure their vehicle exhaust is clear of snow.
The EMO recommended that people from Lake Huron to the north, Highway 401 to the south, Sarnia to the west, and London to the east avoid all unnecessary travel.