Six months after Fiona, repair work continues in Cape Breton
Six months after post-tropical storm Fiona hit the Martimes, many people are still trying to recover from its devastating impacts.
“We are very busy. We have five crews out there right now working on five different projects,” said Roman Heuft, the Cape Breton Response Coordinator for the Mennonite Disaster Service.
Heuft says their work started soon after the storm by helping with tree cutting and replacing damaged roofs. Their focus has now shifted to renovations inside.
“We currently have 18 projects on the board and we're expecting to triple that before we're done,” said Heuft.
A request for help needs to go through United Way Cape Breton, who then transfers the request to the Mennonites.
Funding comes from donations made to the Christian group, which consists of volunteers from across Canada.
“I was very, very happy to hear that they were coming back, and when they arrived, we had a waitlist of things for them to do,” said Lynne McCarron, United Way Cape Breton Executive Director.
McCarron says she didn't have a referral process for people calling looking for help because of a lack of contractors able to do the work in the area.
She says many people are still backed up with insurance claims and, without the Mennonites, they'd be in a dire situation.
“When those calls were coming in and I don't have a place to send them, it was a little hard to handle,” said McCarron.
Heuft says their group is in Cape Breton with a national response this time around, which means more equipment and more workers.
“We decided that there is sufficient meaningful work to allow volunteers to come and serve here in Cape Breton,” said Heuft.
Heuft says the group is prepared to stay in Cape Breton until the end of October.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
Ontario urges mpox testing amid spike in cases
Ontario health officials are urging public health units to test for mpox, the viral disease formerly known as monkeypox, amid a spike of confirmed cases in the province.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
'Don't expect any deals:' Expert says stores may not offer steep discounts on post-Easter chocolate
Those looking to snap up cheap treats at their local grocery store next week following the Easter long weekend could be in for a bit of a surprise as the rising cost of cocoa continues to drive up the price of chocolate, one expert says.