A large iceberg is visible from the shore in Ferryland, an hour south of St. John's, Newfoundland on Monday. More icebergs have drifted into major shipping lanes off Newfoundland, forcing ships to go far out of their way to steer clear of the massive ice mountains. Photo: IC

The Canadian army will send 150 to 200 soldiers to Newfoundland and Labrador to help the province recover from a blizzard that buried the region under an unusual amount of snow, Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan announced on Sunday.

The soldiers were expected in the Atlantic province from Sunday evening to help with snow clearing and removal operations. More than 70 centimeters of snow fell in 24 hours on St John's. 

The snow and snow drifts, caused by winds of more than 100 kilometers per hour, blocked roads and buried cars and some houses.

The number of troops, both active and reserve, could reach 250 or 300 in the next few days based on need, Sajjan said.