'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
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.
The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.