'There'll be no turkey': Sombre Thanksgiving for Atlantic Canadians hit hard by Fiona
Darlene Hughes will turn 65 on Sunday, but it won't be quite the birthday -- or the Thanksgiving -- she had hoped for.
Hughes had planned a small party at her Charlottetown home with friends and family to celebrate her age milestone and the holiday -- but that was before the powerful wind gusts from post-tropical storm Fiona tore down power lines across the province.
Instead, she said in an interview Thursday, she'll be spending the weekend coping without light or heat and cleaning friends' homes for some extra cash. And for the first time, she and her husband will not be enjoying a Thanksgiving meal.
"Well, Thanksgiving," she said, her voice breaking with emotion, "I always cook a turkey. And it's always my birthday weekend. And there'll be no turkey."
It's a story that's playing out across Atlantic Canada: the holiday weekend has been dampened for thousands in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia who are still without power -- almost two weeks since Fiona hit on Sept. 24. About 4,000 homes and businesses in Nova Scotia spent their 13th day without power on Thursday, while almost 9,000 homes and businesses were still in the dark in P.E.I.
Hughes said she and her husband also have to cope with the mess the storm left on their property. "We're too old for this right now -- lugging branches and lifting branches and fixing fences. We've lost all our fences in the back."
On Thursday morning, Hughes's husband called a hotel to book a table for Saturday night so they can celebrate her birthday, but the cost was daunting. "We can't afford it," she said. "But he put it on his credit card and he said, 'We'll deal with it later."'
The couple are on a fixed income and have spent most of their money on food and gas since the storm. They had to throw out almost everything in their refrigerator and can't cook at home.
"We ate breakfast one day, and it was $44 to have breakfast, and that was just a breakfast like a bacon and eggs," she said.
"I got a coffee and it was almost $5 for a coffee. It was $4.25 for a medium coffee. Like really? Like, that's just crazy."
She paused.
"I'd rather drink vodka," she said with a laugh.
About 350 kilometres to the east, in Sydney, N.S., Robert Grafilo said he expects to have some sort of Thanksgiving dinner with the friends in whose home he and his family are living. Maybe even "a few drinks," he added.
But Thanksgiving dinner will come with a side of anxiety because Grafilo, a 45-year-old retail worker who grew up in the Philippines, needs to find a new home after the duplex in which he lived was crushed by a maple tree during the storm.
After the building was evacuated, Grafilo, his wife and their two boys, aged 10 and three, spent part of their savings on hotels for a week. When the power returned in parts of the city, close friends within the small Filipino community took the couple into their home in the Whitney Pier neighbourhood.
"What a time for this holiday (Thanksgiving) to come, as we are looking for a home. It would be normal, if this storm hadn't happened," Grafilo said.
Jhoy Agbada said she and her husband and their two children wanted to help the Grafilos by giving them a temporary place to stay. "I know that though they are smiling, they are heartbroken inside," she said.
"It's like I just want them to feel that they're not alone in this kind of situation .... We will celebrate it and have a simple gathering for Thanksgiving. We should still celebrate it because we should be thankful they are safe."
A few kilometres away, in the Ashby neighbourhood of downtown Sydney, Sona Sudharsan; his partner, Sandra Sudharsan; and their infant boy are also planning a Thanksgiving meal, though a tree is still leaning against the home they rent.
They'll be giving thanks for the return of power, for the members of the city's Indian community and for the Salvation Army, which delivered food during the dark periods following the storm.
"After a rough few weeks, we need some relaxation," Sona Sudharsan said.
Grafilo said he is thankful for friends and family who dropped off food and clothing during his family's sojourn in hotels. "We're thankful we're still alive, safe and sound. That's what matters."
Hughes said she's grateful for her husband and her health. "Well, I guess I shouldn't be doing so much complaining," she said. "And I'm not hungry. And I'm not cold right now. But I'm fed up. I'm just fed up."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 7, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'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.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Man convicted of involuntary manslaughter in father's drowning, told police he was baptizing him
A Massachusetts man who told police he was exorcising a demon and performing a baptism when he shoved his father's head under water multiple times has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter in his death.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.