By The Canadian Press

Free salt! Icy sidewalks inspires rush on supplies at fire halls in Vancouver

Jan 4, 2017 | 11:39 AM

VANCOUVER — Free salt has become a hot commodity in Vancouver as some residents clamour to get more than their fair share to keep icy sidewalks safe during an unusually cold winter.

The city is offering residents two buckets of salt, which was to be available at 10 fire halls today.

But Capt. Jonathan Gormick of Vancouver Fire and Rescue says the salt disappeared Tuesday night at some sites within an hour of being delivered.

He says a firefighter had to stop at least one person from getting a bit too greedy after free salt was loaded into garbage bins and heading for the back of a pickup truck. 

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Gormick expects the man may have intended to sell the salt online because stores have run out of it.

Snow, followed by slush and falling temperatures turned streets into skating rinks, which has resulted in the demand for salt.

The Canadian Press