snowstrom hits manitoba

[tropicana]

Manitobans digging out after storm closes roads, strands travellers
sat jan 3rd 2004

EMERSON, Man. (CP) - Hundreds of travellers continued on their way Saturday after being stranded overnight by a snowstorm in southern Manitoba.

Manitoba RCMP and the province's Transportation Department reopened about a dozen highways, including the Trans-Canada, about 7 a.m. Saturday after closing them about 12 hours earlier due to poor visibility.

"Conditions were very poor visibility, blowing snow and zero visibility in some areas," Brendan Machado, department spokesman, said Saturday.
The Trans-Canada Highway was closed from Portage la Prairie to Winnipeg and Highway 75 was closed from Winnipeg to the U.S. border. All highways were open Saturday.


"There is still some blowing snow but not as bad as last night," Machado said, adding roads were still in poor condition covered in snow and ice.


About 120 people spent the night on the floor of Emerson's community complex, said Jeanette Sabourin, town administrator.

Sabourin said everyone coming up from the U.S. were told the highway leading north to Winnipeg was closed, so they had to stay in town.
The town's grader and loader, plowing a path, led the stranded to the community complex.

"We had a convoy coming over here," Sabourin said.

The people of Emerson are old hands at putting up stranded travellers, she added.

"This isn't the first time this has happened. Back in 1996-97 we had storms pretty well every other weekend, so that's why we have plans and we have blankets and stuff for people," Sabourin said.

Peter Bezditny, owner of the Emerson Inn, said it was quite a storm.
"It was really bad, visibility was zero and drifts
here are up to six, seven feet high in some places," Bezditny said.

Business was so good, he said he wished there was a storm once a week.

-justin-