A sudden snowstorm brought chaos to Alberta’s busiest highway on Wednesday, leaving dozens of motorists stranded and forcing emergency crews to shut down large sections of the QEII between Calgary and Airdrie.
Among those caught in the pileup was Sidney, a driver who could not stop in time as blowing snow reduced visibility and turned the road into a sheet of ice.
“Saw the guy in front of me, the semi, and he was stopping, quite fast, so I hit my brakes to stop too, and I couldn’t stop in time,” Sidney recalled. “I thought I had allowed enough distance between us, but obviously not.”
RCMP reported that between 80 and 100 vehicles were backed up along the highway after multiple collisions, including two jackknifed tractor-trailers. Shuttle buses were dispatched to transport stranded drivers to safety.
Emergency crews respond to dozens of vehicles stranded on Highway 2 between Calgary and Airdrie following a snowstorm on Dec. 18, 2025. (Supplied)
Sidney was among those taken to Airdrie’s new Inspire library, which was quickly transformed into a warming station.
“Met a lot of interesting people on the bus and in here… people at the library are pretty hospitable,” he said.
Online, praise poured in for first responders and volunteers who helped manage the crisis.
The storm caused travel chaos throughout Calgary and the surrounding areas, including delays at the airport. Calgary police and RCMP urged motorists to stay off the roads as conditions worsened in the late morning and early afternoon.
RCMP confirmed that detachments from Didsbury, Airdrie, Three Hills, Calgary Police Service and Sheriffs all responded, along with multiple EMS units. Calgary EMS reported three individuals were taken to Foothills Medical Centre in serious but non-life-threatening condition.
