'It was just heartwarming': Power crews in Cape Breton save roadside memorial following Fiona
Cleanup crews across Nova Scotia continue to clear debris and restore power 10 days after post-tropical storm Fiona swept through the region.
One crew in Cape Breton even went above and beyond their duties after a memorial plaque attached to a power pole in Whitney Pier was torn down during the storm.
"'There goes Joline's pole.' That's the first thing that went through my head," said Joni Stoddard, recalling when she drove by the downed power pole hours after Fiona on Sept. 24.
In June 1998, Joni Stoddard's younger sister, Joline, was killed in a crash involving an impaired driver at the very spot the plaque hung on Victoria Road. She was just 17 years old.
"If anything, I grew stronger that day because it tore my parents apart," Stoddard said.
For years since, the crash site has been marked with a plaque, serving as a memorial to Joline and a warning to other drivers.
However, after Fiona, the memento was somewhere in the middle of a mess of downed trees and power lines.
"As the crews started to take the trees off and started to uncover what was underneath, which was a combination of poles, wires and trees, they spotted this wonderful plaque," said Mark Sidebottom, the site lead with Nova Scotia Power.
Sidebottom says what happened next was a team effort.
"Really, the crews jumped into action together and coordinated between Nova Scotia Power, the contractors and Bell to make sure it was put back in its proper place," he said.
It wasn't until Monday that Joni Stoddard found out her sister's memorial had been saved.
Many have been thankful over the past week for the efforts of cleanup crews, but for Stoddard, the heartfelt gratitude goes a step further.
"It was just heartwarming that they thought of that and everything, and I knew if my Mom was alive she'd be a ball of tears right now," Stoddard said.
"Everybody that's out of power.. all the trees that are down.. everything's slowly getting back together, and I know that they're stressed out. I just can't believe they took the extra time to do that and like I said, it means a lot."
Though it's been nearly a quarter-century, the pain of Joline's death has never gone away.
Now that her memorial has been rescued from the rubble, Stoddard says people who pass by can once again remember her sister for her magnetic personality and ability to light up a room.
"She's still shining bright on that pole down there, to show everybody she was here," Stoddard said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Spanish prosecutors recommend 2nd investigation into Shakira's taxes be thrown out
Spanish state prosecutors recommended Wednesday that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.