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
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6979388.1722030190!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Celine Dion delivers stirring comeback performance at Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Against the rainy Paris night sky, Celine Dion staged the comeback of her career with a powerful performance from the Eiffel Tower to open the Olympic Games.
Jasper wildfire: 'Several weeks' before residents can return, premier says
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes 'for several weeks.'
Missing 3-year-old boy found dead in creek in Mississauga, Ont.: police
A three-year-old boy has been found dead a day after he went missing in a park in Mississauga, Ont., Peel police say.
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn for $146,000 water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six-figure water bill.
Turpel-Lafond won't sue CBC over Cree heritage report that took 'heavy toll': lawyer
The lawyer for a former judge whose claims to be Cree were questioned in a CBC investigation says his client is not considering legal action against the broadcaster after the Law Society of British Columbia this week backed her claims of Indigenous heritage.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Major Canadian bank experiences direct deposit outage on payday
Scotiabank says it has fixed a technical issue that impacted direct deposits on Friday morning.
FBI says Trump was indeed struck by bullet during assassination attempt
Nearly two weeks after Donald Trump’s near assassination, the FBI confirmed Friday that it was indeed a bullet that struck the former president’s ear, moving to clear up conflicting accounts about what caused the former U.S. president’s injuries after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally.