Sask. town cleans up after 'intense' weekend windstorm

Mayor of Kinistino praises community for turning out to help each other

The mayor of a Saskatchewan town is praising his community for its response to a weekend storm.

Mayor Mark Powalinsky said people in the town of Kinistino, about 46 kilometres southeast of Prince Albert, turned out in force Sunday to respond to the damage caused by an intense storm that started Saturday night.

"I just couldn't be more proud of our community showing what community means, pitching in, doing wellness checks on the vulnerable people who are living alone, offering to help," Powalinsky told CBC News Monday.

Powalinsky said the storm toppled trees throughout the town of fewer than 700 people, damaged property and moved grain bins.

Brennen Smith, chief of the town's volunteer fire department, said the storm started around 10 p.m. Saturday with an emergency alert from Environment and Climate Change Canada. Winds ranged from 117 to 140 km/h, Brennen said.

Powalinsky said people in the town helped each other out by lending trucks, trailers and chainsaws to clear debris from the streets. One restaurant prepared lunch for firefighters, while other people helped distribute water, he said.

Leanne Smith helps manage Fencefast, an agricultural fencing company in Kinistino that sustained some damage during the storm, but was open for business Monday.

Smith said she had previously experienced a tornado in another Saskatchewan community, but nothing prepared her for the ferocity of the weekend weather.

"It was intense lightning, like just [this] continual lightning show," Smith recounted. "And it had gone on for a long time. I actually kind of thought maybe we'd missed it.

"And then just intense wind — a short period of time that it was super intense — and then just long, sustained wind and more lightning."

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Smith said the fire department called her in the middle of the night to let her know the company warehouse had been damaged.

Fencefast relocated from Langley, B.C., five years ago and Smith said her experience with her neighbours pulling together in the wake of the storm convinced her it was the right decision.

"Really just, you know, a testament not just to this community that is shining, but small towns in Saskatchewan," Smith said. "And, you know, we're very grateful we picked Kinistino for our home."

Phil Tank is an award-winning journalist based in Saskatoon. He can be reached at phil.tank@cbc.ca.