'It’s just heartbreaking': Northern Nova Scotia residents struggling with Fiona’s devastation

Along Nova Scotia’s northern shore, post-tropical storm Fiona has long passed, but damage from the storm remains.

Between Pictou and Amherst, there are 140 kilometres of road riddled with pockets of ruin.

On Caribou Island Tuesday, a roof could be seen resting near the road. Power has been restored to most people who live on the island, but not everyone.

“I know it’s a hurricane. I expected to be out of power for a while, but for over 10 days?” said resident Edgar Dort.

Trevor Marshall still doesn’t have power either. Marshall’s barn is in pieces and picking it up isn’t an option as he lives with multiple sclerosis.

“Not being able to do anything really, like clearing the trees and stuff like that, I can’t do any of that stuff, so it’s pretty hard,” he said.

Nova Scotia Power crews have been working in the area, but some lines are still a web of wires.

Near the rural community of Brule, a beach is a mess with debris and so too are beachfront properties.

“When you spend time and put all your effort into fixing up your place it’s just heartbreaking,” said cottage owner Lynn Smith.

An insurance adjuster has told her storm surge damage is not covered.

“It’s very daunting. We still don’t know how much damage has been done to the underneath of our cottage,” she said.

Across Tatamagouche Bay in Malagash Point, nothing in Jerry Byers’ yard is salvageable.

The mementoes in his two sheds have melted away.

“Our problem is getting rid of all this stuff and we can’t do it alone. I gotta hire somebody even to help us get it down to the road,” said Byers.

As of Wednesday morning, more than 7,000 Nova Scotia Power customers were still in the dark.