It's been 10 years since hundreds of motorists were stranded on Highway 402 and surrounding roads in what was dubbed "Snowmageddon."
Over the past few weeks, the County of Lambton has been gathering submissions from residents, sharing their experiences and photos from the extreme weather event.
Archivist Supervisor at the Lambton County Archives Nicole Aszalos said the response was very positive, and they received a lot of great material.
"We had dozens of contributions including photos, stories, news articles and social media posts," said Aszalos. "There were hundreds of comments, and some local news agencies sharing their footage on social media and tagging us. It was a great response."
Right now, the Lambton County Archives is compiling all of the submissions to include in their digital collection and will be putting hard copies in the vault.
Aszalos said the material will be available for future generations to research and will be beneficial in preparing for a similar event in the years to come.
"There was a great response about always having a winter jacket in the vehicle, making sure that you have non-perishable food items, water and a full tank of gas before you head out," she said. "It helps emergency preparedness coordinators understand how it has changed, and what technology impacts have even changed."
The worst blizzard since the 1970s began on December 12, 2010, and would strand an estimated 1,500 people in deep wind-swept drifts on Highway 402 and surrounding roads.
A state of emergency was declared the following evening, triggering the deployment of the Canadian military.
Rescue efforts in fierce blizzard December 2010
(Submitted photo)
Over 700 rescued passengers were housed at one of 10 emergency shelters set up in Thedford, Forest, Watford, Warwick Village, Alvinston, Wyoming, and Petrolia.
In an archived interview, 55-year-old trucker Charles Bartold of Southfield Michigan explained how he was rescued after being stranded for 24 hours when his rig became stuck in deep drifts near the weigh scales on Highway 402.
"Once I saw the helicopter land, I said I hope they're coming for me, and sure enough the rescue gentleman came over and asked if I wanted to leave and I said 'yes I do!' And they flew me from the location I was to Sarnia airport first, because they had to refuel the chopper, and then they flew me here into the town of Wyoming where the people are very nice and I'm very grateful for them."
Many area residents took in stranded travellers.
AUDIO: Trucker Charles Bartold of Southfield Michigan:
[audio wav="https://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Archived-Snowmageddon-Clip-Dec-13-2010.wav"][/audio]