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A winter storm making its way through the Prairies continued to foil travel plans for Winnipeggers Friday.
Travellers waiting for takeoff from Richardson Airport faced delays and cancellations for a second day, as an Alberta clipper continued to roll through southern Manitoba.
Flights within Canada, including to Calgary, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver, were delayed or cancelled Friday.
Jared and Laura Dennis came back to the airport Friday after their family’s trip to Cuba was rescheduled, only to learn their flights were being cancelled again.
Jared said the family of six’s first vacation in 12 years has been “ruined.”
WATCH | Winnipeg travellers face flight delays, cancellations:
Travellers face flight delays and cancellations at Winnipeg airport
It was a second day of chaos at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport on Friday as another winter storm rolled through southern Manitoba. Many were hoping they would soon be seeing family or find warmth in a sunny destination, but instead they were greeted with cancelled and delayed flights.
“Both of us have time off, we’ve taken the kids away from the last couple of days at school and we’ve spent two days sitting at an airport, spending money,” he said. “There’s no resolution, nobody to talk to, no answers.”
Fazia Aitzenti and Kartik Sachar, also Cuba-bound, got the same news at the airport Friday.
“I’m really mad. I’m really, really mad,” Aitzenti said.
“I understand the storm … [but] they get us through and they say it was cancelled 10 minutes before we board.… They don’t even know if they can fly us tomorrow.”
The Winnipeg Airports Authority said in a statement anyone planning to travel over the next few days should double-check their flight status before leaving home and keep an eye for any updates from their airline.
Stuck buses, blowing snow challenge commuters
Poor visibility and blowing snow was in the forecast for Friday, as an Alberta clipper moved through southern Manitoba. (Prabhjot Singh/CBC)
Blowing snow warnings remained in place for southern Manitoba Friday afternoon. Environment Canada is alerting road users of reduced or near-zero visibility until Saturday evening in some areas.
The City of Winnipeg says 11 city buses got stuck in the snow as of Friday morning, after more than 200 buses got in a similar jam throughout the day Thursday.
Mark Travers said Friday afternoon he was waiting for a while in the cold to catch his bus home.
“Felt a lot slower because there’s a lot of snow.… Makes it harder to get places. It impacts everybody,” he said.
A total of 215 city buses got stuck during a winter storm Thursday in Winnipeg, the city said. (Bryce Hoye/CBC)
Other Winnipeggers CBC News spoke to Friday were unfazed.
Gerry Kovalik was out for a dentist appointment.
“Alberta clipper. They’re supposed to come through Manitoba,” Kovalik said.
“Anybody that’s out there that has a vehicle with all-wheel drive or four-wheel, this is the best thing in the world.”
For Hannah and Brady Hallett, who were out walking Friday, the weather is just part of living in the city.
“We’re Winnipeggers, we’re out here all the time,” Brady said.
We’re “telling other people, get used to it,” Hannah said. “Let it snow, you know.”
WATCH | Winter storm challenges Winnipeggers for 2nd day:
Winnipeggers clean up from winter weather and brace for more
Just as people in southern Manitoba started making headway on cleaning up from a blizzard on Thursday, a second hit of winter ready came on Friday. People are once again digging out, but it’s not just that snow they have to contend with — it’s also the whipping winds.