'This is not helping': Frustrated evacuees say official communication lacking in wildfire recovery
Seventeen-year resident Peter Dominey hasn't been allowed into his Yankeetown subdivision to see his fire-damaged property yet, which made it even more shocking for him to see footage of it on the news.
“I got quite upset, by whoever made that decision,” said Dominey.
He says officials never told him media would tour the fire-ravaged neighbourhood before the residents could.
For him, it’s one communication failure among many since the massive wildfire tore through suburban Halifax 10 days ago.
“This is not helping,” he says. “Let people in to see their homes, I mean, surely somebody could reach out and contact us.
“It's adding more pressure to an already overwhelming time,” said Brandon MacLeod, a fellow evacuee.
MacLeod knows his home is gone, but that didn’t make it any easier to see it on the front page of the newspaper.
While there was a site visit organized by officials last week for those who lost everything, MacLeod didn’t participate. The lack of privacy, and the fact residents weren’t allowed to get off the bus to walk their properties, still bothers him.
“There’s no doubt our community looks vastly different than when we left Sunday afternoon,” he says, “and the simple fact that they were only given the opportunity to see it from a bus, is disappointing.”
Macleod and Dominey are among a number of evacuees who contacted CTV News, frustrated by what they feel is a lack of communication.
Some say they have yet to hear directly from officials about their properties.
Others told CTV they were notified their homes were impacted only through an impersonal email.
A vehicle and home damaged by a wildfire is seen in Hammonds Plains, N.S., during a media tour, Tuesday, June 6, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/POOL, Tim Krochak
Tuesday, jurisdiction over the wildfire recovery in affected areas was transferred from the provincial Department of Natural Resources back to the city.
“We’re working on improving our communications and the way that the information has been presented on our website,” says Erika Fleck, Halifax’s director of emergency management.
On its website, the city says, “The municipality has been contacting residents who have registered as evacuees of the area of significant impact. To date, staff have had phone conversations with most residents as well as face-to-face discussions as follow-up for those whose homes have been destroyed.”
Damaged sheet music and a photograph are seen among the remains left by a wildfire in Hammonds Plains, N.S., during a media tour, Tuesday, June 6, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/POOL, Tim Krochak
But Fleck admits, “Sometimes to be honest, (the communication is) never going to be good enough and I’m sure I would feel the same way if I were in their shoes, but there is open correspondence with everyone who wants it.”
But in terms of letting residents return, Fleck emphasizes there are too many safety concerns.
She says the media tour had a few participants, under highly controlled conditions with an RCMP escort.
Sites aren't safe enough for anything else right now, she said.
Melted remnants of a metal wheel rim are seen on a car destroyed by a wildfire in Hammonds Plains, N.S., during a media tour, Tuesday, June 6, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/POOL, Tim Krochak
“We have oil furnaces spilled. We have propane tanks blowing up as recently as yesterday. There are still downed power lines on some of the streets.
"Well caps are off. (There’s) sunken sewer spewing — a whole list of hazards that are still ongoing that does not make it safe for people to traverse through those neighbourhoods."
Meanwhile, evacuees like MacLeod and Dominey say they feel left in limbo.
A home destroyed by a wildfire is seen in Hammonds Plains, N.S., during a media tour, Tuesday, June 6, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/POOL, Tim Krochak
“Our community is hurting in a great, great way,” said MacLeod. “We need all the support we can get.”
“The anguish and the anger that the residents here are having, hopefully, will move this process into a better process so that this doesn't happen again,” says Dominey.
“And whatever process is in place, maybe needs to be rethought, and maybe if they lived here, they'd (do) that."
For More Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Ippei Mizuhara, ex-interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, pleads guilty in sports betting case
The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud Wednesday in a sports betting case where prosecutors allege he stole US$16 million from the Japanese baseball player to pay off debts.
Steve Albini, legendary producer for Nirvana, the Pixies and an alternative rock pioneer, dies at 61
Steve Albini, an alternative rock pioneer and legendary producer who shaped the musical landscape through his work with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and more, has died. He was 61.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.