Pictou and Antigonish counties deal with devastating damage post-Fiona
Homes, roads and power lines in Pictou and Antigonish counties appear to have suffered destruction similar to many parts of Cape Breton from post-tropical storm Fiona as it tore roofs off homes and ripped rocks from roads.
"Farmers are getting out seeing their fields and crops just flattened. There’s a lot. A lot of clean up to happen and a lot of pain right now, but we will get through it," said Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, before he made his way to survey the damage in Cumberland County.
Drive around Pictou Lodge Beach Resort and the damage is obvious, with trees blocking the main entrance. On the road in, low-hanging power lines and toppled trees aren’t uncommon.
"It’s surreal, it’s devastating, it’s emotional," said Kate Surrett, general manager of Pictou Lodge Beach Resort, where cabins were significantly damaged.
"Tons of water damage, structural damage, a little bit of everything," she said.
Arisaig recorded the strongest wind gusts in the province during the storm -- peaking at nearly 180 kilometres per hour. Residents of the community and its surrounding areas describe the experience it as "terrifying."
"I spent the evenings wedged up against the door to try to prevent the wind from coming into the house," said Joe McRae, who lives on Big Island.
The road onto the island was ripped by rocks that were pushed onto the path.
As of Wednesday, crews had removed the rocks and started to create a passable path to get to Big Island.
Many residents in the area continue to be without power as crews from as far away as Vermont work to restore it.
Meantime, residents in the area say neighbours have been lending a helping hand to one another as they, and several other Nova Scotians, work to repair damage caused by Fiona.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.