'Our road to recovery will be weeks or longer,' P.E.I. premier tells Fiona briefing
CBC
P.E.I. Premier Dennis King and Tanya Mullally of the province's Emergency Measures Organization said an assessment of what King called "devastating" damage from Hurricane Fiona will start as soon as it is safe for work crews to go out.
Islanders shouldn't expect everything to spring back to normal quickly, however.
"Our road to recovery will be weeks or longer," the premier warned, since the damage was perhaps "the worst we've ever seen" from a tropical storm system.
"It will be an all-hands-on-deck approach," he said of the assessment and recovery process.
Provincial officials have heard of no significant physical injuries from the storm that began late Friday night, King said.
"We should be grateful for that," he said, but added: "We certainly know that many people have lost their homes and business, so we know the emotional and mental health damage that causes."
Both King and Mullally urged people to refrain from going out in vehicles to look at storm damage on Saturday.
"I will actually plead with Islanders," King said. "The best way for you to help… is to stay at home and stay safe."
Damage is expected to be major, especially in low-lying communities and neighbourhoods near the coasts.
"Storm surge was very significant, especially on the North Shore... We will have a better picture as the water recedes," Mullally said.
She said that as soon as it is safe for people to be on the roads, communities across the province will open reception centres to provide "a warm meal, some reassurance, some information and something to plug their phone into."
And speaking of phones, Mullally said cell service providers are asking that people communicate by texting rather than through voice calls or apps to cut down on disruption related to overloaded networks as Islanders reach out to make sure their relatives and friends are safe.
Minister of Justice and Public Safety Darlene Compton also took part in the briefing, saying she had been in touch with her federal counterpart, Bill Blair, as the storm passed over the province.
King said there's no thought yet of asking the federal government to send in the military to help in the cleanup, but he spoke to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday and said: "The federal government is prepared to support us with urgency."
Police services across northern Ontario say most illicit drugs circulating in their communities are being transported from southern parts of the province, while prescription drugs diverted into the illegal market continue to pose a serious and ongoing threat.
The case of a child who was killed by his mother shortly after being returned from foster care has shed a rare and needed spotlight on the child welfare system, say experts in the field.
G.E. Barbour may be best known for its King Cole tea, but the Sussex company’s peanut butter is apparently what everyone wants overseas.
Seven years into an early onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Sandra Demontigny's home is full of reminders.
A blizzard gusting across southern Manitoba is leaving a long list of highway and school closures.
While a blizzard threatened outside, Saskatoon city council endured an icy blast inside city hall from a Riversdale business leader over its homeless initiatives.
This is a story about fire, faith and marshmallows.
Alberta’s population bucked the trend that almost every other Canadian province and territory experienced last quarter, Statistics Canada population estimates suggest.
A U.S. judge on Wednesday blocked Michigan from enforcing a 2020 order to shut down Enbridge's Line 5 oil pipeline running beneath a channel linking two of the Great Lakes, ruling that pipeline safety is a federal responsibility.
When retired RCMP constable Jason Hydamacka heard the news that the insurance money for his amputated leg was coming, he sat in his truck and cried.
As Neskantaga First Nation’s youngest band councillor, Lashaunda Waswa says she wants to inspire the next generation to protect the community’s land, water and wildlife.
Toronto has seen a drop in crime rates across the city, but its police chief says youth crime rates continue to be a cause for concern.
Cambridge council has voted to request a pedestrian safety review of Cedar Street from the region after two back-to-back collisions last week, one of which killed a three-year-old girl.