Deep-freeze poses challenges for home builders, some farmers in Manitoba

CTV Winnipeg: Temp hits farmers, construction hard Cheryl Holmes on how the extremely cold weather has impacted some around Manitoba.

From frozen pipes to frozen ground and frozen equipment, this winter is causing widespread problems. Basement renovations have been tough for homebuilders this year, with the ground as hard as concrete. David Moore from Renovation Classics said they’re almost at the point they have to use jackhammers to get through the frost.

Moore said he expects to see this year’s thaw will come at the end of April, almost six weeks late.

"Come spring, you're probably going to see a big rush because everything's going to be pushed back so there's probably going to be a big bubble come thaw time,” he said.

The weather is having a different kind of impact on farmers.

The good news for some farmers is because there's so much snow in rural areas, the ground is insulated and hasn't frozen anywhere near the levels in the city.

But dairy farmer Henry Holtmann said he’s had a hard time feeding animals.

"The feed has frozen so we have to break up the feed to make sure it's not looking like big popsicles," he said.

He said at this rate, it looks like Manitoba will have a normal thaw. But if there’s a second freeze, that’s when crops could be ruined.