Premier Doug Ford helps drivers stranded during major Ontario snowfall
Premier Doug Ford is navigating the snow-covered streets of Toronto working to assist drivers who may be caught up in the winter storm hammering much of Ontario on Monday.
“I’m just in my 4 x 4 pickup trying to help people out. I just picked some gentleman up and dropped him off at home but I just encourage everyone to stay at home,” Ford told NEWSTALK 1010’s Jerry Agar.
In images sent to CTV News Toronto by the premier’s spokesperson, Ivana Yelich, Ford can be seen digging out vehicles that appear to be stuck in snowbanks at two intersections in Toronto.
The premier's efforts come as a blizzard warning issued by Environment Canada has now ended but a winter storm warning for Ontario remains in effect.
The blast of winter weather Monday morning was so significant that the city’s Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway were closed due to the poor conditions on the road, both of which have fully reopened.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is seen digging out a vehicle stuck in a snowbank on Jan. 17, 2022. (Ivana Yelich)
Schools in Toronto, York Region and other parts of Ontario were also closed to in-person learning due to the large accumulation of snow, which could reach 60 centimetres in some areas by day’s end.
A full list of affected schools is available here.
“If you can give someone a lift, they’re stuck in their car, pull over, if you have a 4 x 4, give them a lift somewhere and get them home safely. It’s an absolute disaster right now,” Ford said.
Speaking to CP24 Monday morning, Ford said it’s hard to recall when the province last saw this much snow while advising residents to exercise caution if they try to clear it.
“Be careful. Don’t feel like it's essential that you clear the snow right at this point,” Ford said.
CTV News Toronto has compiled a list of when you can expect your street to be plowed which can be found here.
Ford wasn't the only person helping rescue those stranded in the middle of the road. On Saint Germain Avenue, neighbours came together to help free a fire truck that was stuck in the snow. About a dozen people with a variety of shovels and snow blowers could be seen in video of the incident.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
MyPillow, owned by U.S. election denier Mike Lindell, formally evicted from Minnesota warehouse
A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used.