White sand dunes, gem of P.E.I.'s central coast, severely damaged in Fiona
Post-tropical storm Fiona changed the coastline of Prince Edward Island forever, however nowhere is more obvious than the P.E.I. National Park on the island’s north shore.
The storm destroyed entire swaths of it, and with recovery efforts now underway, it’s slow going as crews deal with the devastation.
Across the park, between 10 and 30 feet of iconic shoreline is gone.
Huge dunes and white sand beaches -- a stark contrast from P.E.I.’s normally red soil -- disappeared into the sea.
There had been significant efforts to preserve the dunes in recent years, but now many are gone.
“We don’t necessarily have a full picture of what that means for these ecosystems,” said James Eastham, Parks Canada Information Officer. “That’s one of the questions that our park ecologists here will be studying over the weeks, months, and years ahead.”
The destruction extends beyond the beach. There’s been significant damage to the trees, many of which were knocked down blocking roads, slowing assessment and cleanup efforts.
“The complexity of the tree removals, and how intricate the trees were, the quantity of them, and all the attention and compression forces that are at play,” said Parks Canada Safety Officer Sebastien Marcoux.
Eleven national crew and 34 local staff, along with specialized contractors to operate heavy equipment, are working to untangle the mess and clear debris.
“We don’t see the scale of this many downed trees, but we definitely see many strong winds that will pile trees like that in a smaller scale,” said Marcoux.
The park has been closed because of Fiona and there’s no timeline yet as to when it can reopen.
“Erosion at Cavendish, and blown down trees at Stanhope,” said Eastham. “A lot of the shoreline will look quite different when visitors return.”
The devastation is clear, but staff don’t yet have enough information to compare this to previous storms. They say that work is ongoing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Tornadoes tear through southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could wash over parts of the South early Thursday, a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes and large hail killed at least three people in the region.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
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.