An image of Richards' yard in Milk River (Photo courtesy Rey Richards)

By Justin Goulet

The impact of snow on a small town

Nov 29, 2019 | 12:23 PM

MILK RIVER, AB – Milk River was one of many communities in Southern Alberta that felt the impacts of this week’s major snowfall.

Rey Richards, who has lived in the town for just over two years, spoke about that with Lethbridge News Now on Friday morning and said about 75 percent of businesses “probably didn’t bother opening”.

“The Town [of Milk River] office was closed all day yesterday [Thursday, Nov. 28]. I’m pretty sure the Cable Club was closed, probably a couple of the restaurants would have been closed. The smaller businesses would have been closed,” she said.

“My understanding is the market opened yesterday but how busy they were – probably not too busy. I don’t know if the bank opened or not because that building looked like it was pretty packed in as well.”

She said a lot of business owners live outside of the town in the nearby farming areas, making it a bit difficult to get into town for work.

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“They would have to get out of their own driveways to get into town. It [was a] safe option just to wait until everything got cleared up, and the Public Works crew in town did a fantastic job because we have the hospital, so you have to make sure you have a route to the hospital.”

On whether or not a snowfall like this week’s is normal for Milk River, she said from what she’s heard, it isn’t and snow like this hasn’t been seen for many years in the area.

COUTTS BORDER CROSSING

Conditions were so severe, that the Coutts border crossing into the United States had to be closed.

READ MORE: Snowstorm prompts closure of Coutts border crossing

The crossing has since reopened, but local hotels saw plenty of business from stranded motorists, according to Richards.

“I know that the [hotel in Coutts] was pretty much booked solid. The Sandstone [Motel] here in town would have been booked up right away as soon as they [travelers] were getting turned back. The Civic Centre in Coutts got opened up to take any stranded motorists. One of the Volker [Stevin Contracting] trucks – Wednesday night – slid off the highway when plowing, which is what largely closed down the border crossing – it simply was not safe to do any traveling.”

Richards said that some of her own neighbors were turned back in Stirling by the RCMP, as they were traveling on Highway 4, coming back from Lethbridge.

Fortunately, conditions in the town and surrounding region are improving.

“Weather-wise there’s a little bit of cloud overcast, but it’s starting to get a little brighter and a little sunnier and a little warmer,” she said, adding crews have been out clearing roads as best as they can.

“Yesterday, there was a handful of small accidents in the sense that people couldn’t get through on some of the streets – they were sliding and getting stuck and I think there was maybe one or two little fender benders, but nothing extreme.”

However, Richards did say that she is worried about melting snow causing problems.

“It’s homes and driveways basically getting soaked, then cooling off and icing up so that presents us another issue,” she explained.

Environment Canada is forecasting sunshine this weekend and above-zero temperatures starting Monday.