First snowfall of the season brings worry and excitement to community

CTV’s Colton Wiens gets reaction to Waterloo Region’s first snowfall of the season.

A November snowfall has brought both wonder and some work to Region of Waterloo residents.

The first flakes of the season fell on Sunday, breaking a 92-year-old snowfall record for Nov. 9.

To compare, the region got its first dose of snow in early December last year.

“It’s mixed emotions really,” resident Sahaj Ranjee said. “We love seeing the snow, but then you also know that there is an impending sense of a lot of work that’s going to go.”

The transition from a fall chill to a messy wintery mix caught some people by surprise.

“I wasn’t ready for it,” resident Jessie Gagnon said. “I actually went for a walk last night and there was a girl raking leaves and snow. I came home, look at my yard – I wasn’t sure if I should get the rake out or the shovel.”

“Being an old man, when I see snow I say, ‘Thanks, God.’ But what can you do,” Syd Wazir told CTV News. “We have to do what we have to do. We live in Canada.”

Others welcomed the first wintery blast. Select Sports Ski and Snowboard Shop in Kitchener said customers were eager to get on the hills.

“A lot of familiar faces [and] a lot of new folks coming in too,” Jay Cutaia, general manager of Select Sports Ski and Snowboard Shop, said. “We’re not historically on the hill at this time of year, but in years past, things were much milder at this time of year. So, there’s updates to snowmaking tech. A lot of places can start blowing snow earlier than usual. We just need those cold nights, and they’re happening. So, we’re almost there.”

The snowfall also led to a harsh reminder for drivers on local roadways. The Waterloo Regional Police Service said there have been at least 51 crashes in the last 24 hours.

At this time last year, rain and heavy winds whipped through southern Ontario. On Nov. 10, 2024, a tornado touched down in Fergus, leaving a path of destruction.

Will leaf collection continue?

Colourful fall leaves are now buried under a layer of snow across the region, but that is expected to change mid-week when temperatures warm up again.

The City of Kitchener has paused its leaf collection schedule for now but plans to resume the process on Wednesday.

“I kept waiting to let them all fall because we have two maples in the front, two at the back,” Ranjee said. “By the time it fell, the first snow came. I’m trying to figure out [how to deal with the leaves]. Hopefully by the end of this week, the temperatures go up a bit higher. I think there’s a bit of sun. That’s when I plan to, again, bring out my lawnmower, then pick all of this up. That’s the hope. Otherwise, we’ll see. I mean, I just hope we don’t have too harsh of a winter.”