We live on an Island. Back in the early 80s, my son played hockey on a Pee-Wee AAA hockey team, On many occasions we traveled throughout the Maritime provinces for a variety of hockey tournaments.
I began this note by telling you we live on an Island and back then the only ground transportation off the Island was by car ferry. The mainland has since been connected to our Island by a 13 kms bridge.
On one February Friday, a number of families began our trek to a hockey tournament in Nova Scotia. As I recall, each car making the journey, had 2 or 3 hockey players or hockey Moms in each vehicle. We left Charlottetown early on a bright sunny (albeit cold) winter morning. The ferry terminal is about 45 kms (or 35 mins) away. About 1/2 way to our desintation, snowflakes became visible and within minutes, the wind was howling, the drifting snow was blinding and large snowdrifts were building in places in the snow!
I had 2 of the hockey players and their Moms along with me. We sojourned on through the blinding snow and wind toward the ferry terminal. All the while praying for the car to stay it's course and keep between the ditches.
We eventually arrived at the ferry terminal, along with the other hockey travelers and all agreed it was certainly a precarious drive. Only minutes after our arrival at the ferry terminal (which did have a small cafeteria and bathrooms) an announcement came over the PA system that "due to weather conditions, ferry service was suspended until the weather improved". IT STORMED ALL DAY, ALL NIGHT, AND DID NOT STOP SNOWING UNTIL MID-AFTERNOON ON THE DAY AFTER OUR DEPARTURE!
We were stranded (PE Islanders call it storm-stayed) for almost 2 days with a group of 10 to 12 year old boys and their families. Thankfully, there was a liquor store directly across the street from the ferry terminal and one of the Dad's made a courageous run in the middle of the storm for some life-saving refreshments which came in handy when the cafeteria ran out of food!
Finally after about 32 hours, the snowplows broke through the snow drifts and opened the road back toward Charlottetown and home. Lest to say ...... the boys never got to play in that hockey tournament! ÃÛÌÒÁµÈË certainly impacted that sporting event.
We live on an Island. Back in the early 80s, my son played hockey on a Pee-Wee AAA hockey team, On many occasions we traveled throughout the Maritime provinces for a variety of hockey tournaments.
I began this note by telling you we live on an Island and back then the only ground transportation off the Island was by car ferry. The mainland has since been connected to our Island by a 13 kms bridge.
On one February Friday, a number of families began our trek to a hockey tournament in Nova Scotia. As I recall, each car making the journey, had 2 or 3 hockey players or hockey Moms in each vehicle. We left Charlottetown early on a bright sunny (albeit cold) winter morning. The ferry terminal is about 45 kms (or 35 mins) away. About 1/2 way to our desintation, snowflakes became visible and within minutes, the wind was howling, the drifting snow was blinding and large snowdrifts were building in places in the snow!
I had 2 of the hockey players and their Moms along with me. We sojourned on through the blinding snow and wind toward the ferry terminal. All the while praying for the car to stay it's course and keep between the ditches.
We eventually arrived at the ferry terminal, along with the other hockey travelers and all agreed it was certainly a precarious drive. Only minutes after our arrival at the ferry terminal (which did have a small cafeteria and bathrooms) an announcement came over the PA system that "due to weather conditions, ferry service was suspended until the weather improved". IT STORMED ALL DAY, ALL NIGHT, AND DID NOT STOP SNOWING UNTIL MID-AFTERNOON ON THE DAY AFTER OUR DEPARTURE!
We were stranded (PE Islanders call it storm-stayed) for almost 2 days with a group of 10 to 12 year old boys and their families. Thankfully, there was a liquor store directly across the street from the ferry terminal and one of the Dad's made a courageous run in the middle of the storm for some life-saving refreshments which came in handy when the cafeteria ran out of food!
Finally after about 32 hours, the snowplows broke through the snow drifts and opened the road back toward Charlottetown and home. Lest to say ...... the boys never got to play in that hockey tournament! ÃÛÌÒÁµÈË certainly impacted that sporting event.