Disruptions continue as Nova Scotia emerges from under heavy snow

Cleanup in Nova Scotia could take days after more than a metre of snow piled up in some parts of the province over the weekend.

Federal Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan says Parks Canada will be sending snow removal equipment and the Canadian Coast Guard is sending helicopters.

Sajjan says organizations including the Red Cross will help with humanitarian work.

John Lohr, Nova Scotia’s minister responsible for emergency management, says the province had already sought help from neighbouring provinces but needed federal aid to maintain public safety.

A state of local emergency that was declared on Sunday in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, which includes Sydney, is set to remain in place for the rest of the week.

The Nova Scotia government says provincial offices in Inverness and Victoria counties as well as Cape Breton Regional Municipality will be closed today due to ongoing storm cleanup, while offices in Pictou, Antigonish, Guysborough and Richmond counties will not be opening until noon local time.

The provincial government says all other offices will be open regular hours unless they are experiencing power outages or other local issues.

Nova Scotia Health says some non-emergency services may be reduced in the Northern and Eastern zones because of heavy snow and poor road conditions.

Feature image: A vehicle is buried by snow after a winter storm in Sydney, N.S. on Monday, Feb.5, 2024. A local state of emergency remained in effect in parts of Cape Breton on Monday, as Nova Scotia dug out from one of the heaviest snowfalls in 20 years.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Shane Wilkie