Thousands are still in the dark in N.S. and P.E.I. a week after Fiona
More than 66,000 customers remain without power in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island Saturday afternoon, as the provinces recover from post-tropical storm Fiona.
NOVA SCOTIA
Just after 2 p.m., more than 37,000 Nova Scotia Power (NSP) customers did not have electricity, according to the company’s outage map.
In a Saturday news release, NSP said over 1,500 people are continuing to work to restore power in the province, as crews remove large trees in their path.
“We are seeing trees five feet in diameter on the ground and across roads,” said Mark Sidebottom, Cape Breton emergency operations centre lead.
NSP says, in many cases, the trees being moved are so large that heavy equipment and cranes are the only way they can be moved.
“This heavy equipment is essential to help clear the way so our crews can do the work that needs to be done to get customers reconnected,” said Sidebottom. According to the company, this type of work makes restoration “very complex.”
With thousands of downed trees and hundreds of broken poles in the province, NSP says many lines and wires remain on the ground. The company is asking residents to treat all downed lines as if they are live, and to stay back from them the length of a bus.
“We understand it has generated a great deal of interest and customers have questions about when their power will be restored,” said Lia MacDonald, northeast emergency operations centre lead. “It’s really important to keep a safe distance from crews and allow them to focus on their work.”
NSP says residents should be aware of trees that are either touching or tangled in overhead lines. “Do not attempt to cut them down yourself,” the company said.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
As of 2 p.m., more than 29,000 Maritime Electric customers on P.E.I. did not have power. The communities of Charlottetown, Stratford and Cornwall had the highest number of outages.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Here's how much more Canadian landlords are asking for now, according to a just-released report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
What is basic income, and how would it impact me?
Parliamentarians are considering a pair of bills aiming to lift people out of poverty through a basic income program, but some fear these types of systems could result in more taxes for Canadians who are already financially struggling.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Out-of-control wildfire burning near Fort McMurray
As of 9 a.m. on Friday, the wildfire burning 28 kilometres southwest of the northeastern Alberta city was 25 hectares in size.
Mexico's president accuses press and volunteer searchers for missing people of 'necrophilia'
The administration of Mexico's president has accused the press and volunteer searchers who look for the bodies of missing people of 'necrophilia,' comments that drew criticism this week.