Relief and unease as supplies begin flowing to Coast of Bays region
CBC
Signs of the massive forest fires are few and far between on most of the drive down the Bay d'Espoir Highway into the Coast of Bays region.
There are some search and rescue vehicles, some firefighting vehicles, and about 45 minutes into the two-hour drive, a massive sections of burnt trees and charred vegetation can be seen.
For weeks now, two raging forest fires have forced the on-again-off-again closure of Route 360, the main road in and out of the area and a vital link to the rest of Newfoundland for the thousands of people living on this part of the south coast.
Tuesday night was the first time in five days travellers and trucks carrying supplies like food have been able to drive the road, and the evidence of the fires is most noticeable on the west side of the highway, where drivers can see where the fire had clearly jumped across the road.
The smell of smoke was strong, with some sections of burnt-out forest still smoking.
The sense of relief may have been stronger.
"Oh, I'm so excited. I can't wait. Can't hardly talk because I'm too excited," said Tina Benoit in an interview with Radio-Canada.
She and her husband are two of the hundreds who have been stranded by the ongoing road closures — travellers who have been lining up near the Exploits River Motel at the entrance to the Bay d'Espoir highway for days, hoping the road will reopen.
Benoit had traveled to Gander for an appointment on Thursday and ended up stuck, unable to return home to her 13-year-old son on the south coast for five days.
As traffic flowed on both sides of Route 360 Tuesday afternoon, provincial forestry officials and search and rescue volunteers warned people not to stop on the highway or try to access their cabins.
The relief is just as prominent at the other end of the road. In St. Alban's, one of dozens cut off from its critical supply route, Mayor Connie Willcott said it's been a long five days.
"And with each passing day the anxiety was definitely growing," she said.
Stores have been running out of supplies, and gas was only available for emergency services.
Not even cracking open a cold one is safe from tariffs.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a farewell message to Canadians Thursday as he marks his last full day in office.
The Association of Yukon Fire Chiefs says about 80 per cent of volunteer firefighters in the territory are wearing expired protective equipment, putting them in danger and in violation of occupational health and safety regulations when they respond to emergencies.
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault will be given a new portfolio in Mark Carney's cabinet, a source with knowledge of the decision told Radio-Canada.
The Alberta government has suspended a loan program at Picture Butte Feeder Cooperative, the province's largest cattle financing cooperative, after an inspection alleged a number of financial mismanagement and regulatory issues.
If you look up at the sky late, late Thursday in the Toronto area, there's a chance you'll be able to see a total lunar eclipse and what's called a blood moon.
When wintertime calls, go where it's warm.
Colby Leamon had lost a close family member, and was looking for a dog to provide emotional support.
The cost of a 24-pack of beer could increase $3 to $5 because of 25 per cent tariffs on aluminum exported to the United States, according to a craft brewery in northern Ontario.
Fire tore through a seafood processing plant in Cape John, N.S., on Wednesday night.
Another of New Brunswick's new municipal councils has become embroiled in drama and bitter conflict.
Tardiness is nothing new at Via Rail, but late arrivals are reaching historic levels in a key corridor since passenger trains have been forced to slow down at hundreds of rail crossings operated by CN Rail.
Walmart Canada will stop selling machetes — a type of weapon frequently used in violent crimes — in stores across the country, after Manitoba's government pressured the retailer to restrict online sales.