Some in P.E.I., Nova Scotia still wait to get electricity back

May be next week before it is fully restored after damage caused by Fiona

HALIFAX It will be Sunday or Monday before all communities in Prince Edward Island are reconnected to the electricity grid — more than a week after post-tropical storm Fiona yanked down power lines across Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec, officials said Thursday.

The wait could be even longer for hundreds sses because of households of damaged and service busihn masts or undetected problems at the neighbourhood level, Maritime Electric spokesperson Kim Griffin told a news conference.

“I realize Islanders without power want to know a restoration time for their outage,” Griffin said. “At this time, we are not able to provide what we consider an accurate estimation when individual areas will be restored ... I don’t feel comfortable giving a blanket restoration time, days or weeks out.”

The storm roared into the region early Saturday and lingered over the Island, Cape Breton and southwestern Newfoundland, knocking out power to more than 500,000 homes and businesses in the four Atlantic provinces.

At the height of the storm, more than 90 per cent of Maritime Electt as

he dark, were 80 per cent of Nova Scotia Power’s customers. By Thursday afternoon, those numbers had dropped to 44 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively.

Griffin said about 900 of Maritime Electric’s customers have reported damaged service masts — the covered pole or tube used to attach power lines to individual homes and businesses.

“I know this was a historic storm for us, unlike anything we have ever experienced,” she said. “I know you are rocked by what is happening in your life, work and family.... Fiona hit us harder than any other storm in our 100-year history.”

During the news conference, Premier Dennis King confirmed his home was still without electricity, though he said his family has a generator.

“I can relate to those who are frustrated,” he said.

“When I left this morning, we didn’t have power ... Look at my hair. I haven’t been able wash and shave to the extent that I would like to. But I’m doing fine. I’m more concerned about the rest of Prince Edward Island.”

In neighbouring Nova Scotia, a spokesperson for Nova Scotia Power said the “majority” of the utility’s customers would have their power restored Friday. However, Matt Drover said, “some pockets” of the province would have to wait until the weekend or “into next week.”

Earlier in the day, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said he had requested more help from the military. “I understand we have over 300 military personnel on the ground, and I’m thankful to the fedge need so much more,” he told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

“In a province where we have something like 10,000 military personnel stationed here, it’s my personal belief that pretty much every single one of those people would drop everything to help their fellow Nova Scotians, should they be asked.”

On Wednesday, the premier criticized the telecommunications companies that serve Nova Scotia, saying they failed to adequately cooperate with the province’s emergency management team, an accusation denied by Bell Aliant, Telus, Eastlink and Rogers.

On Thursday, Houston said the companies should apologize.

“I would have at least liked to hear from the telecommunications companies that they can do better and they’re sorry,” he said. “But, to hear them say that everything was just great, falls well short of my own personal experience and the experiences that Nova Scotians have relayed to me.”

In Charlottetown, King said he believes the telecommunications companies could have done a better job, but he did not elaborate.

“We’ve come to know that there are things we need to be better prepared for in the future,” the premier said. “I think the telcos have a role to play in that .... I’m not sure that as we try to get people back to some kind of normal life if now is the time to start throwing arrows and picking fights.”

‘‘ I know this was a historic storm for us, unlike anything we have ever experienced. I know you are rocked by what is happening in your life, work and family .… Fiona hit us harder than any other storm in our 100-year history.

KIM GRIFFIN MARITIME ELECTRIC SPOKESPERSON