STORM CENTRE >>> DECEMBER 8/9, 2021

SNOWFALL WARNING IN EFFECT FOR LUNENBURG COUNTY >>> Per Environment Canada, significant snowfall is expected Wednesday evening. Snowfall with total amounts of 15 to 25 cm is expected.Locations: Nova Scotia, from Yarmouth County to Halifax County.Time span: Late Wednesday and Wednesday night.Remarks: The snow will reach western Nova Scotia Wednesday afternoon, and spread to the rest of the province later in the day. A mixture of rain and snow will occur along the south shore into the evening. Strong northeasterly winds will likely produce some blowing snow as temperatures fall during the night. The highest accumulations will occur over inland areas of Shelburne, Queens, and Lunenburg counties.

Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions. Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow. Snowfall warnings are issued when significant snowfall is expected.

Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or tweet reports using #NSStorm. For details click here.

STORM NOTICES >>> Winter storm notices affecting Town of Bridgewater services will be posted in this section as they are received:

BRIDGEWATER TRANSIT UPDATE >>> As a result of the severity of the storm, Bridgewater Transit is cancelling service for the entire day on Thursday, December 9, 2021. Transit will resume its regular service hours on Friday.

TOWN HALL CLOSED FOR TODAY, REMOTE SERVICE AVAILABLE >>> Town Hall and its public offices will be closed on December 9, 2021, as a result of the storm. Staff will be working remotely and able to provide service to the public via phone and e-mail.

DESBRISAY MUSEUM CLOSED FOR TODAY, REMOTE SERVICE AVAILABLE >>> DesBrisay Museum will be closed to the public today, December 9, 2021, as a result of the storm. Staff will be working remotely from home and still available for inquiries by phone and e-mail.

WASTE COLLECTION >>> Waste collection is currently scheduled to take place AS USUAL for the Municipality of Lunenburg and Town of Bridgewater. Please have your waste out by 7 a.m. in the municipality and 8 a.m. in Bridgewater. Please note that collection may take place later in the day because of delays caused by the snowfall.

Please ensure your waste is placed in a way that it is clear of streets and sidewalks and will NOT block snow clearing operations.

If weather conditions change and are severe enough to impact collection a further update will be provided.

The Community Recycling Centre will delay opening until 10 a.m. on Thursday.

WINTER PARKING ALERT  >>> During and after a storm, under Section 139 of the Motor Vehicle Act there is no parking permitted on streets. Parking a vehicle on the street will obstruct necessary winter maintenance and is a safety hazard. If you leave your vehicle parked on the street during a storm, it could be ticketed and towed at your expense -- please ensure you find off-street parking for your vehicle during and after a storm as clean-up operations take place.

SNOW-CLEARING REMINDERS >>> Do not move or plow your snow on to a street or sidewalk. Not only is that not helpful to drivers and pedestrians alike, it's actually a violation of Section 318 of the Municipal Government Act. Under the rules in that section, no person shall deposit snow or ice on the travelled way of a street or near a portion of the travelled way that hinders clearing efforts. That regulation extends to citizens and private contractors who have been hired to conduct snow-related property maintenance.

If you're putting out your compost cart or waste bags for pick up, please ensure that those items are not placed on the sidewalk or in a manner that could impede snow clearing or pedestrian traffic.

SNOW CLEARING ORDER OF OPERATIONS >>>
-- There are about 70 kms of streets and 35 kms of sidewalks in Bridgewater, so cleaning up after a storm takes time. Be patient and, if possible, please stay off the roads until snow clearing has taken place. This makes it easier for plow operators and lessens the potential burden on emergency responders.
-- Roads are generally salted before a storm to deter the formation of a layer of ice on asphalt below snow cover.
-- Plowing typically begins when there is about 7 to 10 cm of snow down, with priority being given to primary routes within the first 12 hours after a storm. Supervisors are in communication with emergency officials during a storm to coordinate response to emergency calls as needed.
-- From 12 to 24 hours after a storm, focus areas generally include school zones, the downtown, secondary streets, then sidewalk maintenance.
-- Plow It Forward: if you can help out a neighbour or volunteer to clear a fire hydrant, it helps your community!