Snowfall in eastern Canada causes state of emergency

Ottawa, Feb 6

A historic multi-day snowstorm in eastern Canada has caused a local state of emergency, leaving many schools, universities and government offices closed.

Cape Breton Regional Municipality of Nova Scotia has declared a local state of emergency with some places in the region receiving up to 80 centimetres of snow, Xinhua news agency reported, citing local media.

"Residents are directed to shelter in place and advised to clear snow from their home's entryways, walkways and driveway to facilitate home access," a news release from the municipality read. "Residents should also remove snow from ventilation points at your home."

"Do not travel. Roadways are being cleared for emergency response and travel of essential workers. The process is slow and ploughs require several passes to deal with the significant accumulation," the news release said.

CBC News reported that the airport in Sydney, Nova Scotia, had received more than 90 centimetres of snow by Monday morning, while downtown Sydney was pummelled with 150 centimetres.

CTV News reported that a local byelection in Prince Edward Island Elections would be postponed due to the storm.

According to CTV News, airports in Halifax, Moncton and Charlottetown are advising passengers to check with airlines about the status of their flights.

Canada Post has issued delivery service alerts. Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia are under a red service alert, which means delivery has been suspended for the day. New Brunswick is under a yellow service alert which means there may be delays in the postal service.

According to Environment Canada, winter storm warnings are in effect for Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

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