Extreme storms have hammered our area many instances over the many years, bringing out the kindness of strangers
This ongoing sequence from Barrie Historic Archive curator Deb Exel exhibits previous pictures from the gathering and one from the current day, in addition to the story behind them.
With the arrival of winter, ideas might flip to the great and unhealthy of the season, and to legendary storms and report snowfalls of the previous.
Mid-January 1940 introduced the city its worst winter storm that 12 months: drifting snow, blizzard-level visibility and temperatures of 26 levels beneath zero, Fahrenheit.
Beginning on a Monday and worsening by Tuesday, the climate was extra excessive than something Barrie had endured the earlier 12 months.
Though a lot of the county was experiencing treacherous roads and blinding snow, probably the most critical situations have been felt in Barrie and Orillia. Automobiles and vans inevitably ended up in ditches or caught within the snow.
Many small communities across the county have been remoted for a minimum of a day, the roads too snow-filled to go. The plows, thought of a menace to site visitors, have been taken off the roads throughout probably the most fierce hours of the storm.
Between Barrie and Orillia, the storm raged. Of us attending a hockey recreation in Guthrie that night have been stranded. Unable to get residence, the freeway blocked with snow, with automobiles and transports within the ditches, about 50 males, ladies and youngsters sheltered within the chilly area till they have been taken in by native farmers to spend the remainder of the night time.
In Barrie, the lodges have been full. Industrial travellers, having deliberate to be on their approach, now waited out the storm at their lodges. Many members of the county council, on the town for the January session and anticipating to return residence the identical night, have been compelled to remain the night time. Individuals who have been travelling by means of Barrie, determined to remain put, and never enterprise any additional.
The night time the storm began, there was a well-timed merchandise in town council agenda: snow elimination. The movement earlier than council was the acquisition of a snowplow.
The present technique of utilizing a grader and shovelling, took eight days to clear snow from the streets. The price of the gas and operator for the eight days was $61.60. With the usage of a snowplow, the velocity of clearing the streets could possibly be lowered to 4 days and the associated fee to $28.40.
In a near-unanimous vote, the movement was carried. A snowplow was bought from the J.D. Adams Co. in Paris, Ont., for $590.00 — $600 with supply that very same week.
The dialogue, initiated by Mayor Robertson, then turned to the issue of snow piling up at fuel stations. Neither residents nor companies have been allowed to shovel snow onto the road, so the mountains of snow accumulating on the fuel stations was turning into a public hazard.
One alderman proposed that the city cost a price of fifty cents per load to take away snow from fuel station tons.
The subsequent ‘worst storm’ occurred in March of that very same 12 months, which was Easter weekend. The blizzard continued by means of to the Monday and politicians took to hiring sleighs or automobiles with a purpose to get to council and vote.
So extreme was the snowfall, even groups pulling sleighs couldn’t get by means of some streets. On Tuesday, the unhealthy climate continued. Excessive winds whipped snow from fields onto the roads and highways, leaving automobiles and vans mired within the drifts. The freeway between Barrie and Orillia was unpassable. Originating in Toronto, a bus heading north, returned two hours after it left Barrie, dropping its passengers on the railway station the place they waited for a midnight practice to Orillia.
A particular practice travelling south from Huntsville, handed by means of Barrie on the Monday night, stuffed with drivers who had deserted their automobiles in Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Severn Bridge, Washago and Orillia. One Barrie taxi firm instructed its drivers to not settle for any fares to Orillia.
Company at a marriage in Stayner have been handled to an unexpectedly merciless spring storm expertise. Nicely-known Barrie barber Bob Bibby, whose store was positioned within the Wellington Lodge about that point, married his sweetheart, Anastasia O’Connor, that Monday morning at St. Patrick’s Church in Stayner.
Whereas the newlyweds made it again to Barrie after their reception, most of the marriage ceremony visitors grew to become caught within the snow on Freeway 26. It was thought of the worst March storm in a few years.
Considered one of our featured ‘Then’ photographs was taken within the early Forties from James Avenue, on the part of Codrington Avenue that runs between St. Vincent and Berczy streets. James Avenue was renamed to Codrington in 1952.
Take pleasure in these different epic ‘snow days’ pictures!
