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On the 10th day after Post-Tropical Storm Fiona battered PEI, life is returning to some degree of normality, but about 18,000 Maritime Electric customers are still without power, meaning no power, heat, hot water, hookups poor internet and, for some, no running water either.
At an average of 2.3 islanders per household, that comes to more than 40,000 people still in the dark.
Eleanor Crossley, who lives on Hutchison Court in Charlottetown, is one of tens of thousands of islanders who woke up to the power still out Monday morning.
“It’s been really cold,” Crossley said.
“It’s hard with a little one… It’s hard to keep a baby warm in a cold house.”
Crossley’s son is 18 months old. It has not been possible to feed him the fresh fruits and vegetables he usually does. With the lines still down on the sidewalk in his street, he doesn’t even think it’s safe to take him through the front door. She doesn’t feel comfortable taking the car out either. Fortunately, he has access to another street through his backyard.
“I didn’t expect it to be this bad. I was expecting three or four days, maybe five, but to be here in town and still have a low line,” Crossley said.
Crossley’s mother regained power on Sunday. He said he will probably move in with her until the power is back on his street.
Ten days after Post-Tropical Storm Fiona hit PEI, Eleanor Crossley is still without power. (Gary Moore/CBC)
The province is making efforts to return to normality. Most schools reopened Monday, along with the University of Prince Edward Island and Holland College, and the provincial civil service returned to work Thursday.
But for those without electricity, getting ready for work was more difficult than usual.
The weather has been mostly mild since Fiona hit the island on September 24, uprooting trees and devastating the power grid. That has eased potential problems for islanders unable to run their furnaces without power, but temperatures dipped below freezing overnight Sunday, and another frost warning is in effect Monday night.
Maritime Electric has 216 crews from across the country, from as far away as BC and Newfoundland, working to restore power Monday.
Visiting crews have been touched by the islanders’ warm greetings, Maritime Electric spokeswoman Kim Griffin said, but she also said those greetings can sometimes slow down work.
Fiona’s devastation and the resistance of the islanders
‘It’s a little crazy’: A look around the province as PEI picks up the pieces. (Jane Robertson/CBC)
“Even a honking horn can sometimes distract people,” Griffin said. “Our teams are feeling the intensity and the stress – they want to get going. They’re absolutely manic to get it going again.”
Griffin expects the rest of the communities and neighborhoods to be on by the end of the day Tuesday, at which point the company will turn its attention to individual outages.
If the pole that connects the electricity to a home is damaged, it is the homeowners responsibility to fix it by contacting an electrician.
It has a small staff
Meanwhile, Islanders are being told to expect longer-than-normal wait times in the emergency department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown. As of 6:40 a.m. Monday, Health PEI was reporting wait times of more than 10 hours for urgent cases.
Health PEI says staff are feeling the impacts of Fiona and there is still more absenteeism than normal due to COVID-19. Operating theater nurses are offered double time in some cases to work in the emergency department.
Many islanders are suffering extensive damage to their homes. (Mikee Mutuc/CBC)
“We’re all dealing with the same situation that everyone in the general public is dealing with,” said Mike MacDonald, acting associate director of clinical nursing.
“Some people have had, you know, damage to their homes, property, that kind of thing. And so we’re asking staff to come to work and support the islanders and still be busy of their own situations at home. it has been stressful for the staff.”
People without urgent needs are asked to avoid the emergency department, but MacDonald said the emergency room would not be closed completely despite the staffing issues.
Cruise tours cancelled
PEI businesses that rely on cruises during the shoulder season, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, which was disastrous for the tourism industry, have been hit hard by cancellations.
Sixteen cruise ships have canceled their visits since Fiona’s arrival, representing around 55,000 visitors.
More than 200 line crews, some from as far away as Ontario, are working in PEI to restore power. (Martin Trainor/CBC)
“It’s the busiest two weeks of our season,” said Port Charlottetown General Manager Mike Cochrane.
While it is difficult for the industry, Cochrane said they are aware of the hardships faced by many islanders without power for more than a week. While eager to see the boats return, Port Charlottetown doesn’t want to strain already depleted resources.
“We’re just thinking about everybody that’s, you know, without power and trying to get power back,” he said.
Even if ships can’t dock this week, expect the four-cruise day booked for Sunday to happen.
From then until now, Fiona’s historic hammer in Prince Edward Island
A look back at Fiona’s initial moments and the aftermath of what many have called the worst storm in the island’s history.
Closures of national parks
Most of PEI’s national park is closed for cleanup after Fiona.
A boardwalk to nowhere: Waves broke the rest of this structure leading to Stanhope Beach. (Shane Hennessey/CBC)
Officials issued another warning Sunday asking people to stay out of areas where restoration work is underway.
The work is dangerous for onlookers, officials warned, with trees being cut down and heavy equipment being used. Equipment needs space to do the job safely.