Monster blizzard paralyzes eastern Canada

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - The federal government is working on mobilizing the Armed Forces to help Newfoundland and Labrador dig out from the monster blizzard that paralyzed eastern regions of the province with record breaking amounts of snow.

Premier Dwight Ball asked for Ottawa's help on Saturday, and Minister of Natural Resources Seamus O'Regan said the fed was working to deploy all available resources on the ground in St. John's. No details were immediately announced, however, O'Regan said that ensuring access to the city's main hospital would be a top priority.

Meanwhile, a search was also to resume Sunday morning for a man who went missing during the weekend storm. The RCMP in Bay Roberts said 26-year-old Joshua Wall disappeared after leaving his home in Roaches Line, about 70 kilometres west of the capital of St. John's, to walk through a wooded area to a friend's home in nearby Marysvale.

As the plowing, shovelling and snow blowing goes on, states of emergency that were declared Friday in St. John's and several nearby communities remain in effect, obliging businesses to close and all non-emergency vehicles to stay off the roads.

Newfoundland Power crews continued working overnight to reconnect about 3,500 customers blacked out during the height of the storm, and St. John's International Airport issued a release Saturday that there would be no flights before Sunday at the earliest.

And there was one more bit of unwelcome news, as Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for the St. John's area, saying at least 15 centimetres of snow was expected to fall between Sunday night and Monday morning.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Jan, 19, 2020.