Schools closed, power out as Northwestern New Brunswick gets first big snowfall

Schools in Edmundston, Grand​​ Falls, Plaster Rock and Perth-Andover are closed

CBC News · Posted: Nov 14, 2022 8:36 AM AT | Last Updated: November 14

Some students in northwestern New Brunswick are starting off the week with the province's first snow day.

Anglophone West School District says schools in Edmundston, Grand​​ Falls, Plaster Rock and Perth-Andover stayed  closed Monday after a heavy overnight snowfall. All of Francophone Nord-Ouest schools are also closed.

Road conditions are the main reason for the closure, the two school districts said.

Power outages close health centre

About 6,000 N.B. Power customers have been without power Monday morning. The utility's outage map shows the majority of the outages are in the Victoria and Madawaska areas, with 3,700 customers in the dark.

Restigouche has 1,300 customers without power, and Chaleur is at 964.

The Kedgwick Public Health office in Grand Falls is closed because of the power outage, Vitalité Health Network said.

"The Kedgwick Community Mental Health Centre will be closed for the morning and the situation will be reassessed at noon," the advisory said.

The outage map shows the estimated restoration time for all areas to be around 11 a.m.

Edmundston's former mayor Cyrille Simard posted a photo of the view outside on Sunday night, where falling snow was covering trees and causing near white-out conditions.

A snowfall warning issued for the area Sunday is still in effect Monday.

Environment Canada said when that when all is said and done, 20 centimetres of snow is expected for Campbellton and Restigouche County.

Most of the snow was forecast to fall overnight, with only about two to four centimetres expected Monday morning.

"Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become difficult to navigate due to accumulating snow," the warning said.