Thousands still without power as classes set to resume in many P.E.I. schools
CBC P.E.I. continues to focus on the aftermath of Fiona. If your data or internet is limited, click here for the CBC Lite version of the P.E.I. site.
About 22,000 Maritime Electric customers were still without power Sunday evening — the day before many schools on P.E.I. are set to reopen — according to the utility's outage map.
Post-tropical storm Fiona slammed the Island with a vengeance in the early hours of Sept. 24, leaving widespread damage across the province.
Decades-old trees snapped in half, beaches and sand dunes were decimated and many properties were damaged beyond repair. About 82,000 Maritime Electric customers without power immediately following the storm.
All schools were closed last week and some will remain closed on Monday.
They are:
Donagh Regional.
Parkdale Elementary.
Prince Street Elementary.
Queen Charlotte Intermediate.
St. Jean Elementary.
West Kent Elementary.
Cardigan Consolidated (Students will resume classes Oct. 5 in a temporarily location within Montague Regional High School).
Montague Regional High School (Classes will resume Oct. 4).
École Évangéline (Classes are being relocated to L'Exposition Agricole et le Festival Acadien grounds, start date yet to be announced).
While many streets have been cleared and aid packages have been announced, the recovery from Fiona is far from over.
In an interview with CBC News Saturday afternoon, Maritime Electric spokesperson Kim Griffin said crews worked diligently through the weekend, but some communities were hit harder by the storm and it's taking longer to get power restored.
"It's still slow going but our crew remains very optimistic ... very resilient and they're just doing it as fast and as safely as they can to get it on as soon as possible," she said Saturday.
"We really appreciate that people are helping each other. We're hearing so many stories of people and their kindness to help out their neighbours and especially people who may be alone … and we know it's not ideal but we really appreciate that people are really trying to help us, too."
Griffin asked residents to stay away from power lines and make sure they're visible when going out after dark by wearing reflective clothing or carrying a flashlight as Maritime Electric crews are on the road at all hours.
Public safety concerns
Griffin made an appeal for people to be careful while power lines are being re-energized.
"We have a lot of crews out working around the clock and it's really important for people to wear clothing that we can see, but also that they can be seen by the general public as well."
Islanders who need help cutting fallen trees on their property or moving large debris curbside because it is a safety hazard can call 1-833-734-1873 or email fionacleanup@gov.pe.ca to have their name put on a list for assistance.
'A phenomenal thing to see'
Meanwhile, in Charlottetown — the province's capital city — many still don't have power.
Scott Adams, manager of public works for the city, says crews are working from sunup to sundown to clear trees blocking roadways and sidewalks.
While it's been a tiring week, Adams says the outpouring of support from the community has been wonderful.
"The community here have been such a huge supporters of our staff from the early days," he said.
"A lot of our staff themselves that, you know, had to leave their homes, didn't have power and they'd be working in the street and and you'd have people come out offer them pots of coffee, offer them meals, hot meals. It was just a phenomenal thing to see how this community came together after such a devastation."
According to a release from the city, almost all municipal roads have been cleared but thirteen parks and playgrounds remain closed due to damage.
Payments for eligible Island households
The P.E.I. government is offering payments of up to $250 per household to help cover the cost of food, gas and other basic needs.
Residents can apply online through the Canadian Red Cross or by calling 1-800-863-6582 daily between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
The Red Cross is opening a disaster shelter at the Murchison Centre at 17 St. Pius Ave. in Charlottetown for those in need of temporary relocation due to the impact of Fiona. The shelter, which includes beds, power, food and water, is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The government is granting a 30-day grace period on the expiration of driver's licences and motor vehicle registrations.
