Henry and Louisa Ryz can’t believe it’s been 50 years since a colossal blizzard hit Winnipeg, seemingly shutting down the city.
“It started to snow and it seemed as if it were never going to stop,” said Louisa.
Friday marked the 50th anniversary of the massive snowstorm. A weather system from the south brought on 35 centimeters of snow, blanketing the city.
Cars were buried in snowbanks, while buses were delayed or didn’t show up at all.
Henry and Louisa shared personal photos and memories from the day with CTV News.
“The city was paralyzed,” said Louisa.
The Ryz’s photos show their home on Dunrobin Avenue the day after the storm. The streets were piled high with snow, Henry carrying their young daughter in his arms.
“It was difficult to walk because everywhere we went, there was deep snow,” said Henry.
Another inconvenient byproduct of the storm -- a massive water main break cut off water to most of the Ryz's block.
“My little girl was just over a year and a half and I needed diapers, so I had to go to my mom’s to wash,” Louisa said.
The Ryz’s remember neighbours helping each other by clearing snow, sharing groceries and giving rides.
“It shows you how a community can pull together. Everybody helped one another. There were no restrictions,” Louisa said.
“If you needed help, you would get it,” Henry agreed.
The blizzard on March 4, 1966 has gone down as one of the worst snow storms in Manitoba history.
