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Winter weather brings out the best in New West
Like clockwork, the snow brought havoc to the streets of Metro Vancouver. But New West showed its generous side
Dustin Godfrey
December 01, 2022
A winter wonderland in New Westminster. / Dustin Godfrey, New West Anchor
As heavy snowfall caused havoc on the streets of New Westminster this week, residents stepped up and proved the city’s generous spirit.
Several inches of snow blanketed the region by Wednesday morning after heavy snowfall the afternoon and evening prior, and as it normally does in Metro Vancouver, it sent traffic into a spiral.
Notably in New Westminster, drivers trying to cross the Pattullo Bridge were stranded after the bridge closed, with traffic backed up at least to Marine Way in Burnaby.
For some, it was even worse—social media posts showed multiple crashes in Surrey, with vehicles approaching intersections unable to stop and rear-ending the vehicles in front of them.
But other social media posts displayed New West’s generous side.
Thank you to community members and teams at local Gurdwaras for providing emergency assistance and food to stranded drivers during the storm. Sikhs protect the oppressed and serve those in need. We call upon local politicians to step up and be proactive in extreme weather events.
— The Sikh Community of 'BC' / Salish Land (@BCSikhs)
4:53 PM • Nov 30, 2022
“The folks in the city of New Westminster have been full of the kindest souls ever,” wrote Twitter user @TianRabbani.
“Locals have been walking the roads with the traffic gridlocked, offering food, drinks, and even allowing us to use their bathrooms. I’m really so stunned and in awe.”
That post was accompanied by a picture taken in a car of a bag of popcorn and a cookie.
And the Sikh Community of ‘BC’ / Salish Land posted a video of the Queensborough Gurdwara passing out food to drivers stranded on Highway 91.
The folks in the city of @New_Westminster have been full of the kindest souls ever. Locals have been walking the roads with the traffic gridlocked, offering food, drinks, and even allowing us to use their bathrooms. I’m really so stunned and in awe 💕
— Tian, MPH (@TianRabbani)
7:29 AM • Nov 30, 2022
Daily Hive writer Amir Ali posted a video of a worker directing traffic at the intersection of Eighth Street and Carnarvon Street, calling her “an absolute hero.”
The city, meanwhile, opened Queens Park Arena to drivers stranded in the Pattullo lineup to let residents warm up, use the washroom, and charge their phones.
That may not be the end of the snowfall either. The Weather Network is forecasting about five centimetres of snow on Friday, along with 1-3cm on Monday, 2-4cm on Tuesday, and another five next Wednesday.
This woman was an absolute hero in #NewWest last night. This corner by New West Station was the definition of shit show.
— Amir Ali ⌨️☕️ (@AmirsDoingItAll)
5:37 PM • Nov 30, 2022
Environment Canada has also issued a special weather statement cautioning of poor travel conditions due to icy roads after some snow melted and was expected to freeze again overnight.
Unfortunately for the young ones, however, the snowfall did not translate into school closures.