Heavy Snow Downs 15 percent of Forest Trees in Canadian District

Disaster Declared in Lakeland, Sask.

The District of Lakeland in the prairie province of Saskatchewan is declaring a state of disaster after heavy snowfall downed thousands of trees, an estimated 15 percent of the forest.

The storm left a path of destruction hundreds of kilometers long littering winter trails with fallen trees, said a report.

“I’ve been here almost 34 years and this is the deepest, heaviest snow I’ve ever seen and more so it’s broken down or bent more trees than ever before,” said the owner of Sundogs Excursions, who depends on the winter trails to run his business.

The Lakeland Reeve estimates that up to 15 percent of the forest’s trees have fallen, said the report.

The region was also impacted by heavy snow in early November.