We are no strangers in the North to waking up on a winter’s morning and finding several inches of white snow covering our town.
No doubt most of us can even remember occasions when we’ve opened our curtains to find ourselves completely buried in.
Such was the case for the North in the final days of March, 1917 when it was reported that between four and six feet of snow fell, covering the T.&N.O. railway and effectively isolating the community from the outside world.
The telegraph wires were cut off, trains were left stranded, and no mail made it in or out of town for almost a week. The last train heading north was stalled on the track, having travelled only 40 miles in 30 hours.
While many passengers returned to the Porcupine after the storm with harrowing tales, some stranded travelers managed to make the most of the situation.
At the Goldfields Hotel, 18 guests were kept entertained by Mine Host Mulheron and his staff, and 12 Red Cross nurses on their way to France were treated to a dance organized by Conductor D. McVicar.
It was a storm that would be remembered for years to come.
What stories do you have of being snowed in?
Each week, the Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre provides TimminsToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.
Find out more of what the Timmins Museum has to offer at www.timminsmuseum.ca and look for more Remember This? columns here.
