Mayor Mel Lastman calls the army to Toronto after snow storm

Soldiering through tough winters is part of being Canadian. But on this day, 27 years ago, Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman actually called on our nation’s soldiers to help Toronto dig out after a massive winter storm paralyzed the city.

In what became an iconic, and often ridiculed moment, Lastman was photographed pumping a victorious fist in the air as he rode in a military tank through the city’s snow-capped streets.

The storm hit on January 12, 1999. Two days later, on the 14th, the always-colourful Lastman made the historic call that brought 438 soldiers to the Big Smoke from CFB Petawawa in 128 military vehicles.

Another 110 reservists were on standby.

The move made headlines around the world, with many ridiculing Toronto as winter wimps.

But Lastman, who passed away in 2021, stood firm that it was the right decision.

“What’s your response to people who say you’ve pressed the panic button?” a reporter asked at the time.

“Hey, better safe than sorry,” Lastman shot back. “And if you don’t like it — too bad because the safety of the people of Toronto is more important than anything else.”

In Lastman’s defence, it was an epic storm with snow banks as tall as houses, burying bus shelters and grinding subway service to a halt.

The soldiers embraced their new role, helping stranded travellers, transporting the sick to hospitals because ambulances couldn’t get through and clearing catch basins to prevent future flooding.

“We are equipped with shovels,” said Brigadier General Walter Holmes of the Canadian Armed Forces.

“We’ve learned from our experience of the ice storm of last year (1998 in Quebec) and we’re come equipped to do whatever we’re asked to do, whether it’s in the form of chainsaws, generators or whatever we’re asked to do.”

In the end, the city received 118 centimetres during that brutal January.

Whether or not calling in the army was necessary remains an open debate.

The following year, for comparison, St. John’s Newfoundland got an eye popping 648 centimetres for the winter – and the army stayed home.

‘100% the right decision’

Lastman’s move to bring in the military was revisited in a Reddit thread on the anniversary Wednesday, with many defending his decision in hindsight.

“I just take the view that anyone who makes fun of that has zero idea of how this city works,” wrote one Redditor. “It was dangerous – emergency vehicles couldn’t pass in some areas.”

“Honestly I don’t think he overreacted,” wrote @Sauterneandbleu. “Within three weeks the city had gotten over 2 m of snow. Snow was in huge piles everywhere. You could barely move around.”

“I roasted the guy for that like everyone else but it was a fairly reasonable thing to do, we got hammered that year,” another added.

“I remember the snow was more than chest high along Bloor Street near the Old Mill where I lived,” recalled @Brickiex2. “Glad he called in the army as TO would not have had the equipment and manpower to clear the snow in a timely manner… Having the roads that bad for days would have serious fire/ambulance/police emergency consequences … I’m glad he called the army in. He got teased and roasted for it, but it would have been 20 times worse if he hadn’t.”

Finally, @HerNameIsVesper recalled living “in a decrepit semi in Koreatown at the time, and the city was paralyzed.

“It may seem ludicrous to the rest of the country, but calling in the army was 100% the right decision.”