Even heroes need a break now and then.
That's what happened on Sunday, when the massive accumulation of snow in Chilliwack overwhelmed local volunteer shovelers. That morning, the Chilliwack and District Seniors' Society announced it would be temporarily suspending the Snow Angel program due to the snow. At that point, about 77 cm of snow had fallen "proving to be too much for our Snow Angels program," they announced on Facebook.
Volunteers were snowed in and some roads were not safe to travel. And in the meantime, Coletta Holmes, executive director of the Seniors' Resources Society said the requests for help shoveling were coming in all day Monday. There were about 40 requests that day alone. There are simply more requests than the volunteers can handle now, and the program has been suspended until Feb. 13.
But the onus to help doesn't just fall on those who sign up to be Snow Angels, she said. Everyone who can shovel and has a few spare minutes can make a big difference for seniors, or anyone else who is stuck inside.
Holmes stresses the importance of checking on neighbours in winter weather.
"The big thing is to check on your neighbours and if you are going out, ask if they need anything," she says. And a little effort goes a long way to those who rely on home services.
"Even if you can’t shovel a neighbour's driveway, a walking path ensures that they can get out or others in if needed," she adds.
She urges people to avoid walking on the road as much as possible, as cars won't be able to stop fast enough if someone were to slip and fall on the ice or snow.
Holmes said she noticed in her travels on Monday that many seniors were out walking and making their way down streets due to lack of sidewalk clearance. She also received surprised and thankful calls from people who had a neighbour stop in to help.
She has heard of people with bobcats, tractors and snowblowers, along with an army of people shoveling, making travel easier for everyone.
The Seniors Resource Society had to close their office Monday, and cancel activities their clients are accustomed to participating in, such as bus trips and yoga classes. Many other services, small stores, and volunteer-run organizations also closed for Monday, with some closures stretching into Tuesday.
NOTE: This story has been updated from when it first was published online, to include more up-to-date closure information.