A barn collapsed northeast of Listowel, resulting in one person being taken to the hospital with injuries that have not been specified.
Emergency responders arrived at Road 146 between Perth Lines 88 and 89 in North Perth before 7 a. m. on Tuesday.
According to OPP, one individual was injured during the incident and required an airlift to receive medical attention. The severity of their injuries has not been disclosed.
A photo shared by West Region OPP on social media showed part of the barn’s roof had fallen in, with an exterior wall lying on the ground.
Authorities haven’t provided details about what caused the collapse. However, there have been multiple cases recently where buildings partially collapsed under the weight of heavy snowfall. Last week, a section of the roof at a former Interforest site near Durham fell in. On Sunday night, part of Home Hardware’s roof in Brussels gave way, and an abandoned structure in Elora also crumbled under heavy snow on Monday. Fortunately, no injuries were reported from those three incidents.
Midwestern Ontario has seen around 50 to 60 centimeters of snow accumulate over the last two weeks, adding to existing snow from January. Data from the provincial government indicates that snow can weigh anywhere from seven pounds for fresh and light snow to 30 pounds for older, compacted snow. Rain falling onto accumulated snow will only add more weight. This is especially concerning this week as Environment Canada predicts showers on Tuesday, Wednesday night, and Thursday. Daytime temperatures are also expected to rise above freezing until Friday, which could increase the weight of melting snow piles.
Signs that a roof might be about to collapse include cracks forming along interior walls, doors opening unexpectedly or getting stuck, and loud creaking noises.
To reduce the risk of a collapse occurring, building owners should regularly check and clear drains, gutters, and downspouts while also removing snow and ice from roofs periodically.
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