The stormy weather in the region was having an effect on the salt supplies locally.
Not only is there an increased demand, but trailers that haul salt from Sifto's Goderich Mine were there for a couple of days, unable to leave due to the road closures.
Now the problem is starting to affect the distributors in the region.
Fisher's Salt and Sand Depot only has a couple of loads of salt left. Owner Lee Fisher says they usually get around seven loads each week.
“This week I had six ordered and I ordered some more. It was supposed to be here Monday and nothing has shown up.”
While no trucks could leave the salt mine, salt ships were also waiting for an ice breaker to go through and clear the ice.
“Obviously we've got a lot of ice.... stopping the boats from getting in,” says Rowland Howe, president at Goderich Port Management Corporation.
Fisher ordered a few loads from the U.S.
“Usually I have about 300 tonnes in my bin here and now we're down to about 25 to 30 tonnes, so if we don't get some right away, we're going to be running real low.”
He says the treated salt companies have put his operation as a priority.
They're 250 loads behind and I'm in the top 20 to get more.
Fisher has been mixing the salt with sand to stretch out the amount they have this week, but he says it isn't much.
He only has about one and a half to two loads left.
That’s all I have left and I'll sell that in no time.
The City of London storage of salt is in good shape. They replenished their inventory of 22,500 tonnes at the end of December. But for private distributors like Fisher, it's taking a toll on business.
“I've got four or five loads waiting to go out. As soon as I get the salt it's gone.”
The Canadian Coast Guard is sending an ice breaker to Goderich. It’s in a convoy with three other ships battling heavy ice south of Sarnia on the St. Clair River.
It is expected to arrive in Goderich on Friday.
