City of Iqaluit shuts down due to blizzard conditions
Winds gust up to 90 km/h; 25 cm of snow expected
The City of Iqaluit advised residents to stay off the road Thursday as blizzard conditions ramped up. All city facilities are closed until further notice. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)
A blizzard has shuttered all City of Iqaluit facilities and suspended municipal services like water delivery and garbage collection.
The suspension and closures remain in effect until further notice, according to a city news release issued Thursday morning.
Residents are also advised to stay off the roads because of reduced visibility, high winds and poor driving conditions.
Emergency services were still available as of noon Thursday but the city could suspend those too if conditions deem it unsafe to provide them, the release said.
People are advised to phone 867-979-4422 for fire and ambulance services.
Thursday’s scheduled sitting of the legislative assembly was also cancelled. The sitting was expected to resume Friday at 10 a.m., according to the legislative assembly website.
According to the Environment and Climate Change Canada forecast, blizzard conditions were expected to ramp up Thursday morning. Fifteen to 25 centimetres of snow is expected, combined with winds ranging from 40 km/h to 90 km/h.
The city asked residents on trucked water services to reduce their water usage. Trucked water services started early Thursday morning, at 6 a.m. instead of 8 a.m., in preparation for the storm.
The city is also advising people to keep their vehicles off the road. Cars or trucks that impede snow removal may be impounded and the owner could be fined.
For updates on the status of city services, the city’s blizzard phone number is 867-979-5300.
being a little cynic here, blizzard? out here in kivalliq a blizzard is when you can see no more than 4 feet in front of you. Blizzard ?
Of course it’s different in Kivalliq. Here in Iqaluit, the roads are not the same. With way more vehicles and big trucks and many school bus’ it’s extremely dangerous. There is a reason why the city shuts down the roads. Safety comes first.
danger is ever present everywhere.
Do you want to build a snowman👻
It wouldn’t be an Iqaluit blizzard without someone from the Kivalliq cawing about how much worse they have it…
1. You don’t know what the word “cynic” means.
2. The visibility, according to Environment Canada is 0.0kms at the moment.
3. Who cares what constitutes a blizzard in Kivalliq? The population is far greater in Iqaluit and there is more potential for harm to human life. There are far more vehicles and pedestrians on the roads and greater distances to travel to get from work to home . What constitutes a blizzard, cold weather alert, extreme wind warning or anything of that nature is relative to where it is happening .
Whiners in Iqaluit. Just to get a day off work. Worked and lived in Iqaluit for 22 years.
Worked and lived in Kivalliq for 12 years.
Iqaluit “blizzard” is a nothing compared to Kivalliq blizzard.
But keep whining. LOL
It’s got nothing to do with wanting a day off. If it seems like the roads are becoming unsafe and visibility is poor, I stay off it and encourage the people I manage at work to do the same. I care about my family and workers more than my pride, and that is more important to me than losing some money because of closing up shop. I have a massive pile of work waiting for me because of this and I will still have to put in the hours to look after it.
On a side note, I am glad I got to spend an unexpected day hunkered down at home with my family, and they enjoyed having some extra time with me. Guess we’re whimps. Enjoy your trophy Paul.
I will and its “wimps” not whimps. lol
It’s ok Paul! The Territory’s engine will be up and running full steam on Monday morning, keeping the place running as usual.
A lot of Hamlet residents were probably worried there for a minute. Almost had to go to work.
Mate you don’t even live in Iqaluit anymore, if you lived here for 22 years you probably remember the 2014 blizzard. This one was just as bad, there was 0 visibility starting in the afternoon and going most of the night. Maybe take a pass the next time the topic comes up?
Tell your whining about Iqaluit blizzards to those who have lost their loved ones from one. An elder lost their life near what is now Nunatsiaq News some years ago. As a young kid, one of my grade 2 school mates died from a blizzard. A couple of teenagers were out skidooing in the early 80s and died in a blizzard. Hunters were out and got caught in a blizzard. A couple of the men died in a hut. You who mock weather, people, animals and ills of others or events have nothing else better to do. Weak, yeller bellied keyboard fighter.
Iq forgets about the rest of the world sometimes. Iqaluit isn’t the only community to lose people to the bitter cold. Look at the other communities in kivalliq and kitikmeot. And other parts of baffin Island.
Coming from another anonymous name-caller Hmmm!
did you not just read one of the messages? It’s a CITY not a REGION
97 km winds, gusts to 124, visibility zero.
Sounds like a heck of a blizzard to me.
It’s not a blizzard until it’s approved by kivallirmiut.
Now yer-a-gettin it 😉
Lololol! I knew the first comment I would see would be some big tough loudmouth talking about how bad they have it.
“Blizzard? Blizzard?” Lol
Finger crossed there ain’t no power outage.
I hope everyone bought tuktu milk. 24.3 % milk. Looks like it’s going to be a long blizzard.
Blizzards in Iqaluit typically last for a day, and the city closes down due to unsafe roads resulting from heavy snow accumulation. On the other hand, Kivalliq does not have hills like Iqaluit, but blizzards can last for days, and visibility can be reduced to as little as 4 feet. It seems that the definition of a blizzard may vary depending on individual opinions.
Me in baffin first hand witnessing snowfall. Damn, these snowflakes are bigger than my adult hand. An I can’t even see my own hand that I’m holding to my face because these baffin snow flakes are huge. It’s so cool.
Me from Kivalliq;
Your experiences are not valid, and you don’t understand snow or wind. We have snowflakes bigger than Caribou, which, by the way, we also still have.
Sincerely, Those who truly suffer.
Didn’t even read the article. Just here for the Kivalliq heroes telling us how easy we have it. Like clockwork, these guys.
Have a nice day off everyone.
The “best” inuit in the world. Or so they think anyway. They even have to have the “best” worst weather lol. Like seriously? It’s just weather lol
I hope ur enjoying your unnecessary long weekend. Like there’s not enough stupid holidays in nunavut. Atleast we’re not killing every animal we see and blaming the mine and asking compensation for it. That’s pathetic.
I enjoyed it a ton! Thanks, Bud.
I enjoyed it thank you. I’m just curious, where did you hear that we are killing off all animals and blaming the mines and asking for compensation? We have plenty of wildlife here on Baffin Island. Please don’t get me started as Kivallirmiut are known to waste the best parts of caribou and beluga. It’s not hard to tell the difference between Baffin and Kivalliq hunters when harvesting caribou or beluga.
Ya well its over so the beer store should have no excuses but to open
Awww! Poor you. If you identified yourself I might consider your comment as something to discuss. But typical of many commenters – anonymously. Not to be taken as serious. Scroll on by matey.
Because you say so? You being the loudest in the room and needing to have the last word doesn’t make your opinion right. It just means those closest to you say what they need to say about you, or anything else they feel strongly about, when you leave the room or fall asleep.
Nothing makes you cringe like an old man behaving like a teenage x box live troll.