Residents in the Greater Toronto Area spent most of the day digging out from about 30 centimetres of snow while city crews fervently tried to clean up messy, slush-covered roads in time for the evening rush.
The region was pummelled by two heavy snowstorms in less than 24 hours. The storm caused delays throughout the region for most of the day.
GO Transit said Thursday afternoon its buses are running on schedule but warned there may still be some delays because of the weather. Some buses were about an hour behind schedule during the morning rush and several trains were cancelled.
Delays and cancellations are also being experienced at Pearson International Airport -- some due to weather delays at other airports hit by the storm. Officials are warning travellers to call ahead before heading out to the airport.
Mail carriers found it especially difficult to deliver letters by foot in this weather.
"It's a rough day," Michael Sauve, a letter carrier in Scarborough told CTV Toronto.
He said he has slipped several times on the job which is why he dons spikes on his shoes as well as a warm winter hat.
If the weather conditions are extreme, sometimes carriers will decide it's too dangerous to deliver mail, he said.
"This is example where I may not make an attempt because I can't even see the stairs," he said, in front of a snow covered home.
Costly clean-up
At the peak of the storm, snow was being dumped several centimetres an hour.
Although the city had a full contingent of 600 plows and salters on the streets, it was hard to keep up with the snowfall and keep the roads clean.
Ontario Provincial Police said there were about 600 reported accidents during the storm.
Even streetcars with steel wheels reported having trouble making their way along their routes.
While snow plow businesses were kept busy, some contractors complained they were losing money because of the amount of work involved.
"If I come out once or twice that's fine, it makes money for me but if I come out 15 times then I lose money," said one contractor.
The storm is expected to cost the city about $5 million to clean up. If more snow blasts Toronto in March and April, it's possible the city will have to dip into its reserves to afford another costly clean-up.
Services strike
In the Kawartha Lakes community, residents dealt with a strike by 400 municipal workers.
Many roads remained icy and snow-covered Thursday as most municipal services and offices were shut down because of the strike.
Supervisors have managed to plow a few of the main streets but it will take days before side roads are cleared.
Union officials said they understand why residents are frustrated but said the city is to blame.
"Well, the snow is going to happen, that's an act of God and the employer let us know that they had a contingency plan and our services were not needed," said Lyn Edwards with CUPE Local 855.
The main issue in the dispute is plans by the city to contract out some services.
Weather warning ends
Environment Canada ended its winter storm warning for Toronto and most areas in the province Thursday morning.
Snow flurries continued to fall in parts of Ontario throughout the day but the winter storm that struck southern and eastern parts of the province moved out of the region the early afternoon.
"I got up at 5 a.m. to start doing this," said one man shovelling his front walk.
Others got a helping hand from their neighbours.
"They're very nice people," said one older man about his neighbours. "They offered to help me and that's great."
For the first time in nearly a decade the Simcoe County school board closed all schools today.
Several boards north and west of Toronto cancelled bus service. Buses are also cancelled for a third day in areas north of Belleville and Trenton.
More than half a metre of snow has already fallen in February in the GTA.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Naomi Parness and Roger Petersen
