'True nature of the Christmas spirit': Community rallies as dozens of travellers stranded in Maple Creek by winter storm

Residents in Maple Creek showed some Christmas spirit to travellers stranded by a winter storm that blew through southwestern Saskatchewan on Friday night.

High winds, blowing and drifting snow created whiteout conditions for hours. The Saskatchewan Highway Hotline listed Highway 1 from Swift Current to the Alberta border as ‘travel not recommended’ at around 8 p.m. on Dec. 23.

Local tow truck driver Bill DeRepentigny said the weather was so bad, it was unsafe to pull cars from the ditch.

“We decorated my personal truck with flashing lights while the tow trucks would run up and down the highway, pick up drivers and bring them to me at the [Hwy. 21] junction,” he said. “Then I would drive them to the Salvation Army.”

Adam Ecarnot and his family were traveling from Calgary to Pense, Sask. to spend Christmas with extended family.

“Growing up in Saskatchewan, I’m used to winter storms but I had never driven in anything like this,” he said. “This was simply the awesome power of nature.”

The highway was a standstill, with several cars and semis stopped on the road. Ecarnot received word the Salvation Army in Maple Creek, Sask. had opened their space for stranded travellers.

“We started pulling out cots and blankets and getting coffee, tea and soup warmed up,” Lt. Brent Wareham told CTV News. “Some community members brought more blankets and pillows while others offered to come in to help out as well.”

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But 30 other drivers were already at the church and space was scarce for Ecarnot and his family.

“Then a family offered to have us into their home. People we didn’t even know,” he said.

Those residents were Scott and Angela Francis.

“I don’t remember anybody ever getting stuck in town like that,” said Scott.

They said they were just doing what they thought was right.

“It makes you feel good that you’re helping other people out,” said Angela. “You hope that if you’re ever in the same situation what goes around comes around.”

As more people started to step up, the town’s mayor said she was in awe at how quickly the small community rallied together to help complete strangers in their time of need.

“It makes my heart swell with pride,” said Mayor Michelle Mackenzie. “We’re here to help and we’re here to offer. When outsiders are saying, ‘this is awesome,’ and ‘they don’t think they would have got this support in the city,’ makes me beam with pride.”

“Like a lot of small towns in Canada, you have the helping spirit,” said Angela. “People want to see people safe and I feel like Maple Creek offered that.”

“There is a deep rooted spirit of hospitality here,” said Lt. Wareham. “This was a reflection of that.”

Ecarnot is thankful to the people of Maple Creek for their hospitality.

“What I felt there was the closest thing to the true nature of the Christmas spirt,” he said. “People were just stepping up in any way they could to help stranded travelers.

“If we didn’t have a place like that to stay, I don’t know what we would have done.”

Lt. Wareham said the majority of travelers were able to get back on the road Saturday morning while close to a dozen more were still waiting to have their cars pulled from the ditch into the afternoon.