Over 3,000 P.E.I. customers still without electricity; power may not be fully restored until Friday

More than 3,000 Maritime Electric customers are still without power on Prince Edward Island, more than two weeks after post-tropical storm Fiona slammed Atlantic Canada.

As of 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, there were 3,149 customers without power -- down from about 4,100 customers Monday night -- according to Maritime Electric’s outage map.

The utility’s latest update said there are more than 260 power crews working across the province.

Maritime Electric says crews restored power to thousands of Islanders over the weekend and they will continue their work this week.

Among those still without power is Destiny Harper, a new mother who lives in Rose Valley, P.E.I.

“It’s been pretty crazy,” said Harper. “I know everybody’s doing their best, but, I mean, from a mom with a 21-week-old baby, it’s starting to take a toll.”

Like many Islanders, Harper says they lost everything in their fridge and freezer.

Her power mast was damaged in the storm, but it was repaired and inspected just a few days later.

The utility says customers who have a damaged mast must hire an electrician to make the necessary repairs before its crews can safely restore power.

“This is coming on two weeks that we’ve supposedly been inspected, but we’re still waiting,” says Harper.

Maritime Electric says some customers, particularly those who are experiencing individual outages due to issues such as damaged masts, may not have their power restored until Friday -- three weeks after the storm hit the region.

It's one of the reasons the official opposition in the province is calling for a public inquiry into the response to Hurricane Fiona.

An inquiry could demand information from third-party organizations who played a critical role in the province’s response -- Maritime Electric, telecommunications companies, and the Canadian Red Cross among others.

“That exists outside of government, and without a public inquiry, it’s literally impossible for us to compel all of the information we require from those entities,” said P.E.I. Green Party Leader Peter Bevan-Baker.

Bevan-Baker says an inquiry is needed to ensure the best possible response in the next Hurricane, but there is still much to do to help the Island recover now.

“Yes, we’re calling for a public inquiry, but our primary focus here has to be getting power back to Islanders and getting the monetary supports, the compensation, the relief supports, that all Islanders desperately need,” he said.

The province did not respond to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, the P.E.I. government has posted a list of reception centres where residents who are without power can go to charge their devices and keep warm.

Island officials are also warning residents to be careful when using generators, cautioning they can be dangerous if used improperly.

Fiona downed trees, knocked out power and swept homes out to sea in parts of Atlantic Canada.

In Nova Scotia, thousands of customers were still without electricity last week. But power has now been restored to most of the province, with only 36 Nova Scotia Power customers affected by outages Tuesday night.

P.E.I. residents can contact the Canadian Red Cross at 1-800-863-6582, or through its website if they have immediate needs.

The province says an estimated $60 million has been allocated for programs and services for residents, community organizations, small businesses, and municipalities, as well as anticipated cleanup and repair costs.

With files from The Canadian Press