The snowstorm that blasted southern Ontario yesterday dumped about 37 centimetres of snow on Newmarket.
The total snowfall accumulation for Newmarket as of 10 p.m. Jan. 17 was 32 to 37 centimetres, according to Environment Canada.
Some Newmarket residents stepped up to help shovel out each other.
In a community Facebook group, Jeff Hipson offered his services for free to anyone who was stuck.
Hipson said he was on his way home from work at Skelton Truck Lines yesterday when he got the idea to help.
“I saw lots of people struggling and I have a 4x4 truck, so when I got home I posted on Facebook to see if I can help anyone that needs help shovelling or getting unstuck in their vehicles,” he said.
Hipson said he got a lot of responses and shovelled two driveways for people who needed a hand.
“[I] got lots of people asking me if I have a plow but I don’t,” he said. “I’m really thinking about getting one and just going out on days like yesterday to help people in need for free.”
In her townhouse complex in the area of Bathurst Street and Keith Avenue, Lisa Heckbert said she saw a lot of neighbours helping neighbours.
Her boss had given her "a snow day," so she was home and able to go out and join other neighbours helping to shovel driveways and paths.
“You go for a walk and you take a shovel and you watch out for the older people or maybe those who may not be as healthy or able. It’s just your natural instincts kick in to help out your neighbours,” she said.
Heckbert shovelled the driveway for a neighbour in a wheelchair, adding she was just being neighbourly.
She said her community is very close knit because their townhouses are “a stone’s throw away from each other.”
“I think it’s par for the course for Newmarket. We still have a good small town feel,” she said.
While residents worked together to clear driveways, snow removal services at the Town of Newmarket worked around the clock to get streets and sidewalks clear.
To combat the snow, the town deployed 12 single axle plows, three pickup truck plows, 18 sidewalk plows and 10 pieces of support equipment for other tasks.
"Newmarket’s snow removal crew began plowing at 2 a.m. on Monday and work continues to be done today on courts and wide-elbow streets. It is estimated that crews have been plowing for about 35 hours so far for this snow event," said Mark Agnoletto, director of public works services.
The town also deployed crews to clear snow from trails and parking lots on municipal properties.
Both YRDSB and YCDSB declared Monday a snow day, with the inclement weather leading to the cancellation of buses.
Schools closures extended to today, Jan. 18, with students signing on for online learning again. YRDSB said this was due to the snowfall conditions on school sidewalks, parking lots and roads.
Other parts of York Region also recorded heavy snowfall amounts. In King City north, there was an estimated change in snow depth of 20 centimetres, Environment Canada said. Reported snowfall amounts were 36 centimetres in Thornhill, 32 centimetres in Vaughan, 30 centimetres in Oak Ridges, and 30 centimetres in Woodbridge as of 1 p.m.
