The winter that wouldn't end

Besides crushing the souls of residents desperately praying for warmth and sunshine, the “winter that won’t end” is pushing back the start of spring for local businesses, community groups and even city operations.

Repeated blasts of snow and cold have extended the presence of winter, which means that, while it might technically be spring, people still aren’t really thinking about it, and retailers who count on spring and summer weather are noticing.

“I have everything ready to go, my equipment is ready to go, so I’m just relaxing before things get crazy,” said Ed Ramsden of Enviromaster Lawn Care.

In a usual year he would expect to start clipping and cleaning up lawns by next week, but with more snow in the forecast he feels that’s highly unlikely.

“People aren’t really thinking about their lawns when it’s -5 C and snowing,” Ramsden said.

Cranky’s Bike Shop owner Andrew Phelps has also noticed the lack of people coming through the doors for bikes. Those who plan on getting a new bike in advance are still making purchases, but those who just drop by when they notice the weather is warming up are still staying hunkered down at home.

“For that customer that comes in as soon as it gets warm,” we haven’t seen much of that,” Phelps said, noting the store is now having one of its big spring sales.

“Usually it’s pretty reliable that the middle of April is the time we start to see more people,” he said. “It is going to get warm eventually.”

Lynda Moffat, president and CEO of the chamber of commerce, said businesses that depend on springtime are likely feeling some discomfort, while other groups like travel agencies or snow removal companies are enjoying the prolonged winter.

“There’s always some good and bad in everything that happens and a slow spring like this has a good impact on many businesses and a bad impact on many others,” Moffat said. “Everybody, I think, over time gets their turn.”

But it isn’t just retail that is staring longingly at the calendar, wondering when the mercury will start to rise. From athletes to gardeners, the endless snow is holding up the beginning of their season, whatever that might be.

“It’s certainly costing us a little bit more in funding to keep our guys going indoors,” said Ed Ewasiuk, president of the St. Albert Minor Baseball Association. “Last year at this time we were pretty well on the diamonds already.”

House league ball games are scheduled to start April 29 with the Cardinals rep teams getting into action May 4, but Ewasiuk is already pretty sure the association will have to push both dates back one week because of the weather.

“Even though the snow may disappear, the frost hasn’t had a chance to come out of the ground so that will be needed,” Ewasiuk said.

The St. Albert Botanic Park is still working on its roses, said past-president Margaret Plain, potting them up to prepare them for their annual rose sale for Mother’s Day, but to date the group has not been able to clean up the park much.

“We’d usually be able to get the garden cleaned up by now and of course that’s not happening,” Plain said, though the group is happy about all the moisture seeping into the ground.

“It’s affecting people that want to plant some of their vegetables,” Plain said. “If it warms up, if we get a good shot of warm weather, this will change very fast.”

City crews would normally be out sweeping the boulevards, followed by the streets by this time of year, said public works director Dan Rites, but that’s not happening.

“With the temperature and the snow, we’re shifting back to snow clearing and plowing,” said Rites. “It’s the same people and the same crews but it’s a total shift in equipment being used and a change to how we prepare in the morning.”

The longer the delay, said Rites, the longer it will take the city to perform some tasks as some have to be completed before others can. For example, the boulevards and streets need to be swept before the fire hydrants and catch basins can be flushed.

“Everything is going to be in this domino effect and it will be just a little bit later this year,” Rites said.