Prince Edward Island is in the grips of a devastating ice storm that has left 22,000 Islanders without power, prompting the federal government to put the army on standby.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay has assured Prince Edward Island that help is on standby.
Troops at CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick have been told that they could be called upon to provide help in the ice-covered province within hours.
"We stand at the ready. My last words to Premier (Robert) Ghiz were 'I'm a phone call away' and that phone call will put in play assistance immediately,'' said MacKay.
Freezing rain started to fall across Prince Edward Island Monday.
As the freezing rain fell, it left layer after layer of thick ice on rooftops, trees and most damaging of all electricity lines. The weight of the ice caused power poles to snap like twigs, and in some places across the Island that caused the poles to fall like dominoes.
More than 100 poles are down.
At one point nearly 95 per cent of the province was without power. Maritime Electric was able to restore power to Charlottetown and most of eastern P.E.I.
The lights are also on in Summerside and in scattered communities across central P.E.I.
Still, a third of the Island is without power and with little chance of power being fully restored until the weekend.
Throughout the night Wednesday all eyes were on the weather forecast.
A wind warning had been posted for the province with wind gusts forecasted to reach 90 km-h. That wind, on an already ice-coated power supply, had the potential to cause even more destruction.
Kim Griffin, spokesperson with Maritime Electric, said she was "very, very concerned'' about what high winds could do to the lines that remain standing.
"Weather has not been our friend the last two days,'' she said.
Across the province people pitched in to help.
Ten emergency shelters were set up across the province, mostly in Prince County, to help provide shelter from the cold and a place to find food and water.
The Red Cross activated its emergency response team, and teams from Moncton and Saint John were dispatched to aid in the relief effort. The province's new Office of Public Safety went into emergency mode, opening its emergency response centre. Those teams will stay in place until the power is back on across the Island.
Still, Islanders, including Bernice Gauthier, were making the best of it. The 79-year-old North Rustico woman was warming soup on her propane stove to take the chill from her bones after going three days without power. She passed her time by reading and playing cards by candlelight.
"It could be worse,'' she said.
While Islanders battled the cold inside, Maritime Electric battled the ice outside. Jeff Arsenault, a lineman with Maritime Electric, was breaking ice off a downed power pole near Hunter River.
"It's been a long day, a lot more lugging and slugging,'' said Arsenault, who will be working 16 hours a day until power is restored.
Maritime Electric crews weren't alone battling the ice.
Ron MacKinnon has worked with the Department of Transportation and Public Works for 11 years. This is the worst ice storm he's ever seen.
"We're removing the trees that are leaning out over the road, they are a hazard to the public,'' said MacKinnon, as he worked near New Glasgow.
Elizabeth Adams of New London spent part of her day Wednesday at an emergency shelter community centre. Adams didn't have power either, but she has a generator.
While she was manning the emergency shelter, providing hot meals to cold Islanders, her husband was offering hot showers to their neighbours.
Icy grip chokes power grid
Icy grip chokes power grid
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Comments
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- tp
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:42:39
So? Just because an area had it worse doesn't make being powerless for four days suck any less.
There have been weather incidents more severe then the Quebec ice storm too, but that certainly doesn't lessen the impacts of the Quebec ice storm either. -
- Peter
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:41:02
As terrible as an ice storm is, the 1998 ice storm left hundreds of thousands without power for weeks on end here in Southern Quebec. With the expectation that you will have your power back by the weekend, that is pretty good. In 1998, the worst hit area was where a lot fo chickens, pigs and other livestock perished due to a lack of heat. So if your power has only been out since Tuesday, relax.
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- c.a.
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:39:55
Yes, Clifford , you are absolutely correct, but 52 years later there are alot of homes that do not have a wood stove, thus no heat, no way of cooking or providing heat, but I guess that within the next couple of weeks a lot of people, me included, will have a generator....
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- B. cant believe it...
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:37:32
Hey G from Tampa..... Florida can have you, we dont want you. Where is your caring for the people that have small children and are freezing. What if it was your mom and she was freezing. Its not their fault. You are not a very nice person. We dont need comments like yours. Oh by the way dont forget your sunscreen when you go out in the sun today. Hope you have a great day!!
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- Cold
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:36:07
disneylandG from pei writes: How many of you people feel like booking flights for Fl and leaving some Island cash at Disney Land. Might even run into G.
Already have my flights booked - to Disney World in Orlando. Only 10 weeks to go! :-)
And why are people calling him an a***ole, just because he lives in Florida where it's warmer? Not very nice - real good island friendliness and hospitality...
Could be worse - we could be in the midst of a minus 50 degree snap like whats happening in Western Canada.
Grass is always greener, so they say... -
- Patrick
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:32:08
This is crazy. I live in Tignish and the power's been off since Tuesday. I work in Summerside and I find myself looking forward to going to work just so I can get warmth and water! I can't imagine what will be left of the meat products from the grocery store freezers after the power is finally restored (which won't be until Saturday or later apparently).
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- Clifford
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:24:31
Remember 1956? Some folk were without power for six (6) weeks, partly due to a lack of new power poles. I helped two farmers, including my Dad, make temporary set ups so a tractor could be used to pump water. Many farmers quickly discovered a way to make a connection so as to use vaccum from a tractor to run a milking machine.
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- Theresa
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:22:29
I'm here in cold Toronto, but it's nothing like what you are going through! I'm just praying for the safety of all of my family in PEI and wish I was there to help in any way I could.
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- kathy
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:21:56
I can understand how if feels without the power.Windchill here today is -50C, and had been for the last two weeks. The whole city of 20,000 was out of power the other night. Air Canada(Jazz) can not fly if over -40C.
I hope our chill will not go to Florida and freeze their oranges.
Hang in there folks -
- G
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:08:49
haha - I'm in Florida and it's going to be 26 C tomorrow - but don't worry about me I have a nice big sweater to keep me warm.
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- Allan
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:06:56
First Off I want to say A Huge THANK YOU From all Islanders to the Lineman with Maritime Electric , Keep Up the great work i cant even imagine how hard it must be you guys are great, Also I want to thank all of those who have opened their homes as well as their hearts in this time of need You Friends Have shown this country and the world how truely Friendly we are . May God Bless You From One Island Family To another Thanks Again ..
Proud To Be An Islander
Allan, Kimmie and Lil Jaydon -
- Suggestion
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:06:38
How often do we have a bit of snow, a bit of freezing rain, some wind, and suddenly SOME part of the Island is without power due to a power line breaking, a pole falling down, a tree falling across a power line, etc.
Instead of spending so much money on replacement power poles, replacement lines, and overtime hours every time we have less than ideal weather, perhaps Maritime Electric should consider burying the lines underground where those factors will not affect them. -
- C.A. From PEI
- - June 21st, 2010 at 20:06:19
It totally amazes me how some people who walk on the face of this earth get off on the misery of others....but then all we have to look at is the amount of friends these people have....nil I suspect...I was without power for 2 days, but its back on now, these people with the big mouths, I'm sure, have not experienced something like this, so should just shut their mouths....
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- Dee Cooperative
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:57:07
You islanders need to calm down a smidgen.... lol. I am living in pei and would drop this desolate not-contributing-to-anything waste-of-life area any day for Florida.
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- Rob
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:56:58
PEI is not the only place on earth with power outages. All you have to do is go to google (not the google link on the Guardian) and type storm power and when the results come up select news. Surprise! We aren't alone. There have been storms all over the world that have resulted in power outages.
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- Jane
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:56:28
devastating for people and shrubbery. Gently knocking the ice/snow from the shrubbery and smaller trees in the yard can save them from total wipe out. The weight is the killer and the above can save those expensive nursery plants.
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- disneylandG
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:56:25
How many of you people feel like booking flights for Fl and leaving some Island cash at Disney Land. Might even run into G.
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- Grateful
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:53:55
I love that the good people of Prince County were shown on tv as caring for one another, helping out in a time of crisis. I love that good people of Maritime Electric risk life and limb to restore the power through less than good weather conditions. I love that I live on PEI where there is more good than bad, and feel sorry for those who have to turn a natural disaster into an opportunity to make fun of those who suffer, or to create a rant against government. (Imagine the government that could prevent an ice storm...WOW!)
Islanders of the year should be the Maritime Electric linesmen and their co-workers. Bless you all. -
- Sue
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:51:01
I agree with the comment that money should be invested into putting the wires underground. I am a former Islander living in Edmonton (it is freezing here!!). Edmonton has all of its power lines underground.
PEI always seems to suffer from power outages (sometimes for days on end) and I think a lot of these outages would not happen if the wires were underground. It is time that the PEI government and utility companies invested some money into improving the quality of life for Islanders. -
- John
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:49:44
Hey folks - had no idea that you were hit with this ice storm until it was on the news tonight. The pictures remind me of our ice storm 10 years ago. We were without power for 7 days. Hope you get yours back soon. Looking forward to my 25th visit this year.
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- Lisa
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:49:22
Hey....I just want to thank the Electric crews who are working overtime this winter, it seems to never ease up here....sone storm after the other. For all the people living up west, my heart goes out to you, we spend 3 days without power and we have 2 small kids but we took off and rented a hotel room, couldn't take it anymore. But again to all the Electric crews again thank you..
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- Rhonda
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:47:47
I am in Calgary, its been bitter cold, BUT MY dad lives in Kensington and I hear and now see its really not good. Please take care of the PEI'ers. Thank you for everyone helping.
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- shawn
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:46:52
Ice storm on the lsland . I remember a few winter's of the same kind of weather when l used to live on the lsland. We were stuck in a cold snap here for a week and we got 5 inches of the white stuff. Started to melt already and there is a very big mess, with all the slush. Some driver's will not slow down when they see a puddle of water and someone walking by that puddle. There is a law here against splushing people , but they didn't care .
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- Candice
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:44:48
I am an islander living in calgary, and I think that the more I tune into the Guardians site to read the news and occasionally the comments it reminds me of how SMALL and isolated PEI really is, I mean people will take any opportunity to gripe and argue and just complain about eveything, this ice storm and the people who have been without power and will remain that way for a couple days don't deserve it and it is miserable for them I am sure, for the people who are jumping all over buddy from Flordia ... GET A LIFE do you not have anything better to do with your time then get on here and argue with him, Islanders get a rep as kind, gentle people but no one ever shows this catty, immature side of us! ... God Bless Maratime Electric for all the hard work, be safe and try to stay warm PEI. just think at least you didn;t have to suffer -50+ days like we did out here ...
as was already said ... the grass is always greener I guess -
- Tracey
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:42:58
Simmer down people! I don't think G from Tampa meant for his comments to be taken like this. He was OBVIOUSLY joking and NOT wishing any ill will on aonyone. My God... CHILL!!!!!
Dee. I am with ya! -
- Islander
- - June 21st, 2010 at 19:42:31
Hey G from Tampa....I wish you luck in getting help to over come your problems...our little storm seems minor compared to the issues you need to come to terms with
