The Portage District General Hospital was able to keep wait times over the holiday weekend at typical levels despite the challenges it faced with the blizzard.

Director of health services Noreen Shirtliff says, "Wait times in the emergency department are always fluctuating depending on what's happening in the department. But staffing levels heading into the holiday season were typical staffing levels. We were adequately staffed. The storm did pose a few challenges related to staff being able to get into work."

She explains staff organized those who were able to drive there and those who weren't, so as to have an adequate number available to work. Shirtliff adds she's thankful and appreciates the work the organizing staff put into that schedule.