Page 16 Aprili,2009 — PROWINCIAL/ NATIONAL PANTHER POST

Remembering White Juan

By Laura Yorke

Just a little over five years ago, a devastating blizzard struck the Maritimes, leaving many stranded and without power for weeks.

With the threat of more major winter storms hitting PE.I., many were looking back on White Juan and remembering where they were.

Wanda MacInnis of St. Peter’s was working in Montague. | “I remember how quickly it came up and "| we were stranded at work.”

Others, lucky enough to be safe at home, made the most of it.

Joanne MacQuarrie lives in Crapaud. Her '|children were delighted to play in the snow

‘jbanks the next day.

“They actually had ladders down the holes and were passing buckets of snow down to each other.”

But for some, White Juan simply meant work. Doug Cook is the equipment manager for WM&M, a snow removal company. He has worked for the company for 30 years and re- members how tough it was to clean up after White Juan, even with the larger equipment. _“We have a bunch of truck plows, three- quarter tons, and it was hard on them. It was just too much snow.” GET BEYOND THE CUCHE. Beyond what you'd expect to find at a graduate school on the edge of North The trucks head out around 1 a.m. and try ever ie peta usin |e e eee lela PERC disse et meee tele (oe eee ete et |e) Se a : NOES OS to have apartment complexes and other resi- dential areas cleared by 7 or 8 a.m., he said, “then we go back and do it all over again.” OS grt i apa tog piped heath ei aaa This year, however, the snow has been pil ing up due to a colder winter and fewer thaw- ing days, he said.

“There seems to be more snow this year than there was last year.” easel ahha But even with the threat of another major blizzard looming, Cook just shrugged it off.

“There’s nothing you can do about it. Just do your best and hope people have patience.”

Laura Yorke is a journalism student

Holland College

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