Brunt of Fiona's force leaves lasting damage on P.E.I.'s north shore

When Mike Doyle closed his gift shop along Prince Edward Island's North Rustico Harbour the day before Fiona's arrival, he figured some of the ocean would enter the store.

After all, a few inches of water had been brought inside from previous storms.

"We make jokes about it washing the floor," said Doyle. "But this time it washed the walls and the ceilings as well."

Water crashed through the store's windows, flooding the business and destroying virtually all merchandise.

"This is probably going to have to be torn down," said Doyle, who has run the Nautical Gift Shop since 1984. "It had been a phenomenal season."

It's merely one example of how the north shore of Prince Edward Island sustained significant damage after Fiona's arrival early Saturday morning.

A canteen next to Doyle's gift shop was pushed off its foundation. A sign nailed to the building on Wednesday said 'unsafe' and 'keep out' with 'Rustico' written inside a broken heart. Another nearby building was also pushed from its foundation.

"The docks are all askew everywhere," said Doyle.

Dramatic images of erosion along north shore dunes, including Brackley Beach and Stanhope Beach, have startled many.

Recovery in the area, and all throughout Prince Edward Island, continues to be hampered by power outages.

Rustico resident Leanne Harding said powerless utility lines leading to her home are buried under about a dozen fallen trees around her property.

"Even if we get power back in the neighbourhood, it might take us a really long time to get it," said Harding. "So that will be tough."

Harding and her husband, who were evacuated in 2016 for the Fort McMurray wildfires, made the decision to leave their P.E.I. home for Fiona's landfall.

"We were told the North Shore would be hit really hard," said Harding, who saw pictures of her property's damage while away. But the pictures didn't do the damage justice.

"When we got here it was the worst," said Harding, adding that many around the community have reached out to offer help and support.

"Just knowing that we have that community sense that people are going to take care of one another makes it a little less difficult."