More Must be Done

The Municipal Council for the Municipality of the County of Pictou is fully appreciative of the many hard-working linesmen and forestry crews from home and away, along with our local fire departments and the many individuals who have given so much of themselves to clean our roads and get power restored and care for our people.

“The only way to describe how residents of rural Pictou County have been treated over the past eleven days since Hurricane Fiona ripped through our forests, farms, neighborhoods, shorelines and our harbours is unacceptable and incomprehensible”, says Warden Robert Parker. Those who still don’t have power have long passed their tolerance point and are suffering physically, mentally, and financially.  In many rural communities, people have not even seen a single power truck and are still blocked in by fallen lines. They have been told incorrect information and misleading restoration dates, continually dashing their hopes.

              The Municipality of Pictou County calls on those responsible for getting our many citizens in our most rural areas restored power NOW! In our modern society, this is no way to treat people! Yes, it was a horrific storm, but we must do better. The Warden says he has been in regular contact with Premier Houston. While he appreciates assistance offered for food, tree removal and other programs, it is not enough for those without power for more than a week, soon coming up on 2 weeks.

            While highly complementary of those working in the field, the Warden is highly critical of Nova Scotia Power. He is calling on the Premier, as soon as power is restored, to fully explore a new way to deliver power to residents of all of Nova Scotia. What we are dealing with over the last weeks is the result of inadequate evaluation, planning and implementation over the last two decades. The Warden says change is required immediately to fix the system that does not meet the needs of all residents. It is within the power of the Premier and his government to repair this broken system because the next hurricane will come.

            Our Council is working hard to deal with many local issues including tree and brush removal, disposition of spoiled food and financially assisting our fire departments who have helped so much in all our communities. Warden Parker calls on the Provincial government to extend their assistance programs to cover at least some of the fuel costs for those who have incurred huge expenses to run generators if they were lucky enough to have them.

            The Warden requests that new Federal assistance announced extend not only to the homes and businesses but to our many farms for lost crops and buildings, and our devastated forests as well as our fishing industry. They all need immediate help.