Schools closed, transit halted as blizzard blasts Halifax

HALIFAX – Most of the province, including schools,transit and mail, is shut down Monday as a blizzard bears down on Nova Scotia.

Environment Canada is calling for a snowfall range of between 30 to 60 centimetres for the western part of the province, with strong east to northeast wind gusts between 90 and 110 km/h expected.

NEWS 95.7 weather specialist John Wilson thinks here in Halifax, we’ll be closer to the 40 centimetre mark, but it will be a while before we’re done with this storm.

“It’s going to be around at least 24-hours, we’re going to be the business end of it late today and into tonight,” he explained.

With heavy snow and high winds, Wilson says white out conditions and blowing snow will be a big problem.

“Outside the city, I wouldn’t even think of venturing out of town today for any reason whatsoever, or tonight, or even tomorrow,” he said. “We could get white out conditions even here in town.”

Nova Scotia’s Emergency Management Office says crews are out in full force trying to keep roads as clear as possible, but their asking people to stay home.

“Strong winds and heavy snow are a recipe for difficult driving conditions,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Minister Geoff MacLellan. “Motorists are advised to stay off the roads if possible for their safety and to allow plow drivers to safely clear the roads.”

In anticipation of the storm, Halifax Regional School Board decided to close their schools Sunday evening, and the municipality has announced there will be no transit, citing the safety of residents and employees.

HRM spokesperson Tiffany Chase said in a news release that with heavy snowfall expected between mid-morning and late afternoon, delays, detours and cancellation would be unavoidable.

“Cancelling transit service for the entire day will ensure that no passengers or employees are stranded on the road, at work or at school without a safe way to get home,” she said.

A storm surge warning is also in effect, Environment Canada warns during high tide, there could be some flooding, especially along south to east facing shorelines from Halifax to Shelburne County.

“The storm surge and strong winds can make the shoreline dangerous very quickly,” said Zach Churchill, Minister responsible for Emergency Management Office. “I urge Nova Scotians to stay away from the coast during this storm.”

The Overnight Winter Parking Ban will be in effect for Halifax again on Tuesday, Feb. 14. No on-street parking between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.

Widespread power outages are expected throughout the day Monday into Tuesday, with just over 13,000 Nova Scotia Power customers in the dark as of 1 p.m. Monday, 7,600 of those in the Halifax-area with electricity in most areas not expected to be restored until 8 p.m. Tuesday.

CANCELLATIONS:

SCHOOLS

-Halifax Regional School Board has closed all schools

-CSAP schools in HRM, Greenwood, Truro and Bridgewater are closed

-Halifax Christian Academy’s Armdale Campus is closed

-Halifax Grammar School will be closed

-Sacred Heart Halifax is closed

-Sandy Lake Academy is closed today

-Chignecto Central Regional School Board’s schools, offices and worksites are closed, Grade Primary registration sessions are also cancelled

-All Annapolis Valley Regional School Board schools, offices and worksites are closed

-All South Shore Regional School Board schools, offices and work sites are closed

-Cape Breton – Victoria Regional School Board also closing schools for the day

-Tri-County Regional School Board shuttering schools for the day

-Strait Regional School Board is closing schools for the day

-All NSCC campuses across Nova Scotia are closed today

-Dalhousie University and University of King’s College are closed

-Saint Mary’s University has cancelled all classes

-Mount Saint Vincent University is closed for the day

-NSCAD is closed

-Acadia University is closed

-StFX will be closed until 6 a.m.Tuesday

-Dartmouth Learning Network’s classes and tutoring matches are cancelled

-Atlantic School of Theology is closed

TRANSIT

-Halifax Transit will not have any buses or ferries in operation

-Most flights at Halifax Stanfield International Airport are cancelled, check with your airline

-Tancook Island ferry service has been suspended due to weather

-Maritime Bus: Most morning departures are cancelled today. Please see the website for further updates throughout the day.

-The Big Lift shuttle service is not operating because of blizzard conditions

HEALTH CARE

-The Family Focus walk-in clinics are closed

-The IWK is now asking patients to not show up to appointments today

-STD clinic at the VG is closed Monday, Feb. 13

-The Nova Scotia Health Authority says if you have a scheduled appointment please only come if it is safe to do so. If you cannot make it, your appointment or treatment will be rescheduled

-Elective surgeries at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, Hants Community Hospital and Dartmouth General Hospital have been cancelled

-Some ambulatory (outpatient) clinics have been cancelled

-The following blood collection locations are closed : Woodlawn, Bayers Road, St Margarets, Twin Oaks, Musquodoboit, Eastern Shore

-David Manning’s Internal Medicine Clinic at Cobequid will be closed

-All treatments at the Hyperbaric Unit are cancelled

-Geriatric Day Hospital Program is cancelled

-All mental health and addictions services taking place at Cole Harbour Place are cancelled

-Mental Health Courts are cancelled

-All community and outpatient mental health and addictions services including Connections Dartmouth/Halifax are cancelled Monday, Feb. 13.

-All rehab services at Cobequid Community Health Centre are cancelled Monday, Feb. 13.

-The STD clinic at the VG site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre is cancelled Monday, Feb. 13.

-Diagnostic imaging services at Musquodoboit Valley Memorial Hospital are cancelled

-Endocopy clinics at the VG site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre, Cobequid Community Health Centre, and Dartmouth General Hospital are cancelled

-MS Clinic & Dalhousie MS Research Unit at the Nova Scotia Rehabilitation Centre is closed

-All Community Health Team locations are closed

-IWK Health Centre’s Ambulatory Clinics are closed until Tuesday at noon.

GOVERNMENT AND SERVICES

-Curbside collection of garbage, recycling and green carts has been cancelled

-All branches and departments of Halifax Public Libraries are closed

-The Otter Lake Waste Processing & Disposal Facilities, Materials Recycling Facility, and composting facilities in Burnside and Goodwood will also be closed

-All HRM municipal offices, customer service centres, and recreation facilities are closed

-HRM’s Executive Standing Committee meeting at City Hall is cancelled

-Stadacona, HMC Dockyard, Windsor Park and Willow Park are closed

-All provincial government offices in mainland Nova Scotia are closed.

-The scheduled resumption of the Nova Scotia Legislature to table teachers legislation has been postponed, it will now begin Tuesday at 8 p.m.

-The law amendments committee meeting, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday to hear presentations on Bill 59, An Act Respecting Accessibility in Nova Scotia, has been postponed

-All Access Centres on mainland Nova Scotia are closed

-Halifax Water offices are closed

-Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia’s Halifax office is closed

-Opportunity Place Career Resource Centre in Lower Sackville is closed

-Canadian Red Cross offices throughout Nova Scotia are closed

-The Archdiocese of Halifax Yarmouth, offices of the Catholic Pastoral Centre are closed

-CEED (Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development) will be closed until at least noon

BUSINESSES

-Halifax Seaport Market is closed for the day

-All NSLC locations on mainland Nova Scotia will be closed today

-Due to inclement weather Halifax Shipyard, Marine Fabricators & Woodside Industries facilities are closed for day, night and back shifts

-Ski Wentworth is closed, wind too strong to safely run lifts

-Halifax Shopping Centre, Scotia Square and Mic Mac Mall are closed

-Dartmouth Crossing stores are closed, check with individual big box stores for their hours

-The Dartmouth Shopping Centre is closed

-All branches of East Coast Credit Union are closed

-The Mooseheads store and business office will be closed today

-Several other businesses are expected to be closed, call ahead before leaving

TUESDAY CLOSURES

HOSPITALS 

-IWK Health Centre’s Ambulatory Clinics are closed until Tuesday at noon, with an update expected at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

 

IWK’s Outpatient Blood Collection, LabBreast Screening, X-Ray, Perinatal Centre, Fetal Assessment Treatment Centre, Mental Health and Addictions (outpatient clinics and day treatment services) will all be closed until Tuesday at noon.

-The IWK Emergency Department remains open.

GOVERNMENT AND SERVICES

-The standing committee on economic development that was scheduled to meet Tuesday, Feb. 14, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. has been postponed. No new date has been set.

-Provincial standing committee on public accounts meeting scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed and will be re-scheduled at a later date.

-The First Baptist food bank on Ochterloney Street will be closed.