A weekend blizzard that stranded many travellers in southern Manitoba served as a test of emergency preparedness for one municipality.
On Sunday, wicked weather forced RCMP to close Highway 75. The nearest safe town for many was Emerson, Manitoba; located around 113 kilometres south of Winnipeg.
“The major factor was the fact that it was a Sunday,” said Bill Spranjer, emergency coordinator for Emerson-Franklin, on Tuesday. “Our maximum numbers before were in the range of 35 to 45 people.”
This storm, however, would see Emerson host the largest number of stranded travellers in its history.
“The majority of them had checked with their hotels before leaving, and at the time it was safe,” said Spranjer, adding U.S. hotels don’t always have information for Manitoba road closures.
Around 300 people had to stop for safety in the border town, with 70 travellers staying at the Emerson Inn and 230 being sheltered at the community complex.
“That filled our main hall, the curling rink and our legion hall,” said Spranjer. “They were just glad to get off the highway, because they couldn’t see a foot in front of their car.”
Spanjer said the influx began around 10 a.m. Sunday, and reached its peak around 9 p.m.
The Emerson Bigway Store supplied food throughout the day for the unexpected guests, while trained volunteers helped people as they waited out the storm; all part of Emerson’s emergency preparedness plan.
The travellers were mainly driving from Minneapolis, Fargo and Grand Forks; however, two buses from Bemidji, Minnesota would prove to lift spirits for those stranded.
Jazz bands from Oak Park high school and Dauphin Regional Secondary School were on their way back from a festival on Sunday, when the weather turned and they ended up in Emerson.
Oak Park’s grade 9 to 12 students got out their instruments and played a free concert for everyone at the inn, while the band from Dauphin entertained guests at the complex.
“They were trying to take pictures…and they were really, I guess, excited to have something new,” said Oak Park band teacher Derek Fraser. “The kids got to feel like rock stars a little bit and yeah, it was fun.”
Fraser said it was a great bonding experience and brought the students closer together.
As volunteers and travellers prepared to spend the night in Emerson, some good news arrived. Highway 75 reopened around 10:30 p.m.
“I’ve never seen the hall clear so fast as when I said the highway was open,” said Spranjer, adding the day’s events proved beneficial for the municipality.
“It was a good test of our emergency plan, and it ran really smooth,” he said.
