Snow closes schools and vaccine clinics in Waterloo region, Guelph and Wellington County

Schools and vaccination clinics were closed, garbage collection was cancelled and snow events were declared in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge as a winter storm walloped the community on Monday.

• Latest Waterloo Region conditions from CBC Weather
• CBC Storm Centre: Latest school, school bus closures and more  

The weather station at the University of Waterloo tweeted that as of 1 p.m. ET, 33 centimetres of snow had fallen in the area since the early-morning hours.

Waterloo region, Guelph and Wellington County were under a winter storm warning by Environment Canada on Monday. There was also a winter travel advisory for northern Wellington County. Up to 40 centimetres of snow were expected to fall throughout the day and into the evening.

"The heaviest snowfall has already occurred, however, additional amounts are still possible before snow tapers off late this afternoon or early this evening," the weather agency said on its website. "Local blowing snow is also possible this afternoon and evening with gusty northerly to northwesterly winds."

Environment Canada warned snow accumulation could make walking on sidewalks difficult and may have "a significant impact on rush-hour traffic in urban areas."

The forecast called for a high of –3 C on Monday. The overnight low was expected to be –11 C with the wind chill near –19 C.

Schools closed, garbage collection cancelled

The Waterloo Region District School Board and the Waterloo Catholic District School Board indicated there would be a "weather impacted remote learning day" as all student transportation was cancelled, and schools and daycares were closed.

The Upper Grand District School Board indicated staff should not report to work in person and should shift to remote working where possible.

Monday afternoon, the Region of Waterloo said that due to heavy snow, icy road conditions, and for the safety of staff, it was ending waste collection for the day.

"The collection team has been struggling to keep trucks on the road today and for everyone's safety, these schedule changes are necessary," the region said in a news release.

People who normally have their waste picked up on Monday, will have garbage collected on Saturday, Jan. 22. People are asked to have their bins to the curb by 7 a.m. that day. The region asked people to hold onto the contents of their blue boxes and green bins until next week.

The region said there was no anticipated impact to waste collection for the rest of the week.

Canada Post, meanwhile, cancelled mail and parcel delivery for all of southern Ontario. 

The Waterloo Regional Police Service told drivers to take extra precautions Monday, which included that people should "clear all snow from your vehicle, increase your following distance, and allow yourself extra time to get to your destination."

The service said officers responded to 41 reports of collisions throughout the region from midnight until 3 p.m. on Monday.

Vaccine clinics cancelled

Waterloo region's COVID-19 vaccination clinics were expected to close early on Monday due to the weather.

There were three clinics set to close at 4 p.m.

• The Boardwalk in Waterloo.
• Bingemans in Kitchener.
• 150 Frederick St. in Kitchener at regional headquarters.

Other clinics that were closed by 3 p.m.:

• Cambridge Pinebush.
• The Wellesley Vaccination Clinic at 3710 Nafziger Rd.
• The Hourglass HR clinic at 99 Regina Street S.

"All those affected by these closures will be contacted directly by public health," the region said in a news release.

As well, due to weather conditions, walk-in appointments would not available Monday at The Boardwalk, Bingemans, and 150 Frederick St. vaccination clinics.

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health said COVID-19 vaccine clinics in Orangeville and Mount Forest were closed due to inclement weather. People could rebook appointments online or public health staff were calling impacted clients to reschedule their appointments.

Move vehicles off streets

Snow events were declared in Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Woolwich Township. It means people must move vehicles off streets to allow for a full plow-out.

The cities noted residents were prohibited from parking their cars on city streets for 24 hours, running until just after midnight on Tuesday morning. By Monday afternoon, all three cities had extended the snow event to midnight Tuesday.

In some cases, bylaw enforcement could issue a ticket and tow the vehicle at the owner's expense.

In Waterloo, the city said "staff are monitoring weather and sidewalk/trail conditions and will deploy crews as needed. When possible, we ask residents to please minimize their use of the trails and sidewalks to allow staff time to complete their snow clearing operations and to please use city maintained sidewalks and trails with caution as surface conditions can change quickly from bare to snow/ice covered."

Woolwich Township reminded people not to shovel snow from their driveways onto the street.

Closures

Closures on Monday along with elementary and high schools include Wilfrid Laurier University, University of Guelph and Conestoga College.

As well, Kitchener Public Library said branches would be closed and virtual programs had been cancelled. Idea Exchange in Cambridge and the Waterloo Public Library also announced closures for the day.

More closures were listed on CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's Storm Centre.