There is no time frame on when the military will pack up and pull out of St. John’s.

Brigadier-General Roch Pelletier says provincial and municipal authorities assess the number of calls and requests that are being made on a daily basis.

He says right now, they are not in a stage where they are ready to make any decisions, and it will be done in collaboration. Once their services are no longer necessary, the military will begin planning their exit.

Pelletier says they have another busy day today with many calls coming in for service.

He says the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre has given them approximately 450 tasks in the St. John’s area. At this time, they’ve completed about 380 of them with their 27 teams on the ground.

When asked if the military would eventually help with street and sidewalk clearing in the capital city, Pelletier says that was not the aim.

He says they are here to complement and enhance the capabilities that are already on the ground from a city and provincial perspective. They are here for anything related to safety and emergency, and to make sure they help the people who really need it.

Pelletier went on to say that the city has called in more resources to help them, and it’s not really necessary for the military to get involved – while they will stay focused on situations of safety and emergency.

‘Tears of Joy’ as Military Clears Out Cancer Patient’s Driveway

There were tears of joy after members of the Canadian military cleared out a home to allow a cancer patient to return home after being released from hospital following the storm.

Shawn Lewis says his father-in-law, Bill Williams, was released from hospital with stage four lung cancer and the snow in the front of the house kept them from getting him into his home.

Lewis, a military veteran himself, called the emergency line to get the military down to help, but encountered a busy signal.

When he finally got through, Lewis says the response was incredible.

He sends his heartfelt thanks and sincere gratitude to the military and to those coordinating the effort.

The Full Quote from the Facebook post can be found below:

“This is my Mom and Dads house. For those who know me well things are not good for them right now as my Dad is fighting stage 4 Cancer and was in hospital during the storm!

Thank you to my husband who called 300 times to 311 yesterday to get through for help! Thank you to our Military who swept in last night and cleaned it up! I am so proud of our men and women who serve and so grateful to have them help us in times of need. Thank you!”