Current48:19Frustration in Atlantic Canada as stormy Fiona cleanup drags on
A month after Post-Tropical Storm Fiona hit Atlantic Canada, some residents and politicians are concerned about the slow pace of cleanup.
“If you’ve ever seen a movie like War and you’ve seen something blown up and the side of a house damaged, that’s what it looks like,” said New South Wales. Grace Bay resident Kim Roger said.
Losier sees doors off their hinges, debris from homes littering the road and lawns, and entire roofs missing.
What she doesn’t see enough of is the cleanup of debris by non-community members.
“We are insured. Your claim has been approved,” she said. Current“But after 30 days, there is no one to work and nothing can be done.”
People need help now…. End the bureaucracy and get on with the action.– Amanda MacDougal, Mayor of Cape Breton Municipality
Not just insurance companies. Ms. Losier said her contractor will not be accepting calls to her neighborhood for the time being.
“They don’t even ask for your address,” she said. “They just bluntly say no one. So I don’t think they care.”
From electricians and plumbers to construction workers and contractors, Cape Breton needs all the help it can get, Losier said.
But for the time being, it feels like a sheltered community.
“It doesn’t matter where you live on the island, you can’t do anything on the island,” she said.
Cape Breton Municipal Mayor Amanda McDougall says her community was forced to band together to get out of Fiona’s turmoil.
“My staff [reached] When I contacted the state’s coordination team, I got an email back — an automated response — “Oh, we closed their command center. We don’t need it anymore,” she said. Current.
“Fiona is still thinking it’s not over. This is still happening. Didn’t you let us know you were closing the state command center with this weather event?”
She is now concerned that the community’s sense of togetherness has “disappeared” in the immediate aftermath of Fiona.
“People need help right now and it’s so upsetting,” she said. “Stop the bureaucracy and take action.”
Current We have reached out to the Nova Scotia government and the Nova Scotia Emergency Management Agency, but have not received a response.
In an October 27 news release, Cape Breton East MLA Brian Comer said state staff were prepared to do more work to remove fallen trees and clean up debris caused by Fiona. I said yes.
Comer said on behalf of Nova Scotia’s Minister of Natural Resources and Renewable Energy, Tory Rushton, that state staff were “already doing what they could to pave the way to restoring power, including helping clear trees on private property.” They’re doing a tremendous job and we’re redeploying them when they’re most needed.”
The situation forced some residents to take matters into their own hands, like Edward Spencer.
“Mostly [the work]” he said. [my roof] Off the board and, as you can see, I’ve piled up what I can do there. ”
“But I shouldn’t be doing this, but I do it anyway.”
going home
Losier and her teenage son are currently staying at a friend’s house. She hopes to be able to return to her home by Christmas.
She considers herself one of the lucky ones, given her insurance and the size of her small family.
“Because you say so [there are] “I have a family with four or five children, what are they going to do, are they going to stay in the one room I was offered?” she said.
“I may not have a home to return to, but I and my children will be fine. All I want is a new roof and a home.”
Yet she is still stressed by the slow pace of cleanup.
“For the first week, okay,” she said. “But now… you’re tired and you just want to go home. But I don’t have a home. At least I can live in one.” there is no.”
Produced by Mary-Katherine Mackintosh.
