Public Works Minister and MLA for Queens Kim Masland calls the scope of the damage from the July 21 rainfall unprecedented.

In an interview with QCCR, Masland says the storm closed 114 roads across the province, 27 of those in the Western District.

As a result, over 200 public works staff and 40 private contracting crews were mobilized to begin rebuilding that crucial infrastructure.

Masland said, “I will tell you I as the minister of public works I have never been more impressed and more proud of the people that work for this department and the contractors who worked so hard to do what they had to do.”

Masland says the crews are working long hours to get the province’s road system back in order as quickly as they can.

She says the day after the storm she was out with the province’s chief engineer at 7:30 in the morning to survey the extent of the impact.

“When we came down through the [Highway] 103, I just could not believe what I was seeing. It was, I mean I’ve seen the damage of flooding in Cape Breton when we had that storm, hurricane, I’ve seen, I’ve seen a lot in this department,” said Masland. “Actually my Deputy tells me that as a minister I have seen more in this department in two years than they have experienced in 20.”

Masland says as new construction projects are undertaken in Nova Scotia, roads are being built stronger, culverts are bigger, and bridges are built higher to contend with the increasing severity of the storms.

While she can’t provide an exact timeline when all roads and structures will be repaired Masland says everyone in the department is working diligently.

“We’re doing the best we can as quickly as we can.”

To hear the full interview with Minister Masland, click play below.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com

Flood waters submerge cars up to their windows in the parking lot of a Bedford restaurant. Photo: Communications Nova Scotia

The Milton Centennial Pool appears to have been the greatest casualty for the Region of Queens in this weekend’s storm.

The storm washed out roads, and 100-series highways in neighbouring Hants and Lunenburg counties as well as Halifax with reports indicating between 250 and 300 mm of rain fell across Queens County on Friday.

Despite receiving a summer’s worth of rainfall in a single day, Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman says Queens County got off relatively easy.“We were very, very fortunate here in Queens compared to Lunenburg,” said Norman. “There was no major damage to infrastructure. There was a road wash out on St. Catherine’s Rd in Port Joli.”

Norman says Port Medway and Liverpool fire departments were prepared to go in with their Zodiac boats to evacuate the 45 residents on that road.

The provincial public works department initially estimated the road would take four to five days to repair but after the water subsided, they discovered the major culvert was still intact and the road was repaired by Sunday morning.

Norman says a few driveways have been washed out but for the most part, Queens residents were spared the major damage experienced in other areas of the province.

She spoke with an official at Nova Scotia Public Works and in his words, “he said, Darlene, it ain’t pretty, but we got their driveways fixed. But he was just so impressed by the politeness and the patience that people had as they understood that this is serious, and they will get their driveways fixed.”

Unfortunately, the storm caused significant damage to the Milton Centennial Pool, and it will not reopen the rest of this summer as engineering and public works staff assess the extent of the damage.

The Region of Queens has been wrestling with how to replace the Milton Pool for over a year.

Council recently decided to move forward with a new outdoor pool to be located alongside Queens Place and are awaiting designs.

Anyone enrolled in swim lessons will be contacted and issued a refund.

Mayor Norman says staff will continue to monitor and assess damage across the county but if anyone sees damage that doesn’t look like it’s being addressed, they should contact the municipal office.

“If there are concerns and you see no one and it seems like you’ve been forgotten, then it’s probably because people are unaware. So, please always make a contact. Let people know when you are need of help,” said Norman. “And thank you to every volunteer fireman, neighbour, friend who helped each other and looked after one another because that’s what we’re all about.”

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.

A house in Halifax feels the effect of Hurricane Fiona. Photo Ed Halverson

Hurricane Fiona blew by Queens saving its full fury for other parts of Nova Scotia.

Power is almost completely restored in Queens and clean-up is underway in the wake of Hurricane Fiona.

The South Shore managed to avoid the devastation experienced in northern parts of the province and Cape Breton.

Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman says municipal staff were getting ready well in advance of the storm.

“Probably about a week ahead when it looked like something was coming our way our public works department started clearing out storm drains, ditches, picking up as much debris as possible,” said Norman. “When it became very clear that Fiona was indeed going to impact Nova Scotia then equipment was put down, you know any unneeded signs, people noticed the Main Street area that detour signs those were put away. At Beach Meadows we put away our mobi mat. We prepared ourselves.”

Norman says residents also took the warnings seriously and took steps to weather Fiona.

“It was also great to see people preparing themselves. People were flipping their trampolines and they were putting away lawn furniture and they themselves were getting prepared.” Said Norman.

According to Nova Scotia Power over 50,000 customers were affected in the Western Zone of Nova Scotia, including Queens.

Most of the power failures were a result of trees either falling on or bringing down power lines.

Restoration efforts got underway Friday night and as of Monday morning only a few homes in Queens County remain in the dark.

Many people were unable to communicate following the storm as cell service across all providers was down in many areas of the province.

Life in Queens is returning to normal as schools across the South Shore reopened Monday.

Several comfort stations that were opened immediately following the storm have been closed with the exception of Queens Place which is still offering access to showers, by appointment.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

To listen to the broadcast of this story, press play below.