Rosetown becomes a refuge for people caught in storm

Bad weather typically brings out the best in Saskatchewan people and that was true again during Monday’s wicked blizzard.

Rosetown ran out of hotel rooms to accommodate the influx of travellers looking to take refuge from the fierce winds and blowing snow.

Whiteout conditions forced the closure of Highway 7 between Rosetown and the Alberta border.

Amanda Bors works for the town and she volunteered to help get the Elks Hall ready to handle the overflow of travellers.

“Our local grocery store, Shope Easy, brought tons of food over — muffins, juice, pop, water and fruit, you name it. We just had tables and chairs set up for everyone to sit and have a warm place to go to wait out the storm,” Bors said.

“Most of them curled up in their chair or on the floor and tried to sleep the best they could.”

Bors said visibility on the roads was poor and it wasn’t safe to be driving around anywhere.

She and a few others from the town office were instructing hotels and restaurants in town to send people to the hall.

Bors estimates roughly a dozen stayed the night.

“The one lady and her son coming back from Saskatoon to Kindersley, it took them over six hours. It was the worst storm she has ever driven through,” Bors said.

Bors said while the accommodations were not set up for sleeping, people were just grateful to have a warm safe place to go.