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Hurricane Fiona Update 6 – recovery update, what’s open, what’s closed, what to expect.
Hurricane Fiona Update 6 – recovery update, what’s open, what’s closed, what to expect.

Hurricane Fiona Update 6 – recovery update, what’s open, what’s closed, what to expect.

Sunday September 25, 4:30pm

Good evening! This update is to let you know what to expect tomorrow and will be the last big blog/email for a while unless something unexpected pops up. Please follow me on social media for updates on service availability and power.

Safety remains the number one priority and concern. Residents are asked to continue avoiding travel as municipal crews are out clearing roads and streets. Schools and HRM offices will be closed tomorrow, and only some rec centres and libraries will be opened.  I’m not getting power back until Wednesday and much of the area is the same. It’s going to be a long couple of days.

Residents are also asked to report downed municipal signs, crosswalk lights and street lights to 311.

Continue to call 911 in an emergency.
Call 311 for downed trees and flooding (open 7am -10pm during recovery)
Call NSPI for power for downed lines 877-428-6004.

Follow my EMO Twitter list here: https://twitter.com/WayeMason/lists/emo-yhz

Please continue to help your neighbours, lend a hand, be kind, and be patient.

Here is an update on what is underway today (Sept 25)

Comfort Centres – If you think you need to go to a comfort centre to recharge your phone or warm up, that is sufficient reason to be on the roads, as is checking on family members. Comfort centres are open at the following locations, 9am-10pm daily

  • Beaver Bank Kinsac Community Centre, 1583 Beaver Bank Road, Beaver Bank | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Royal Canadian Legion Branch #58, 23566 Nova Scotia Trunk 7, Sheet Harbour | 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Prospect Road Community Centre, 2141 Prospect Road, Hatchet Lake | 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Moser River Community Hall, 28975 Highway 7 | 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Eastern Shore Community Center (Musquodoboit Harbour Arena), 67 Park Road, Musquodoboit Harbour | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Fairview Family Resource Centre, 6 Titus Street | 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Fire Station 62, 2417 Old Sambro Road | 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

These locations will remain open as needed and further locations may be opened if necessary. Residents can proceed to these centres anytime; however, they are advised to travel only when it is safe to do so.

The locations vary depending on which communities have been impacted and may change on a daily basis. Comfort centres are generally located in municipal facilities where they exist. The hours vary depending on the type of impact on communities.

Comfort centres provide food and water, as well as a place to recharge devices and receive up-to-date information when residents are impacted by prolonged power outages, extreme temperatures or other significant events.

Power –  If your power is still off after your neighbours are connected they may not know you or your block or the poll connection is not working. Report that or report outages and also receive the latest estimated times of restoration via the outage map at nspower.ca or call by calling 1-877-428-6004.

For those currently without power, residents are encouraged to turn off all tools, appliances and electronic equipment, and turn the thermostat(s) for the home heating system down to a minimum to prevent damage from a power surge when power is restored

Internet – both Bell and Eastlink are down for a lot of folks, including us. Call your service provider if your internet and phone are down.

Garbage – Curbside solid waste collection is cancelled for Monday, September 26 in the Halifax Peninsula area. A supplemental green cart collection for this area will occur on Monday, October 3. All other areas will receive regular curbside collection of solid waste on Monday, September 26.

The reasons are concerns around the ability to clear streets from obstruction and potential risks to collection vehicles and staff.

Municipal Tree clearing – For safety reasons, residents are advised to not attempt to assist with clearing downed trees in the municipal right-of-way. Those trees will be handled by professional crews. However, residents are responsible for tree maintenance on their own properties.

Branches and organics –  Trees located on private property are the sole responsibility of the homeowner.  The municipality is not responsible for removing brush and debris from private property.

Residents may set out five bundles of branches if their organics collection is Monday, September 26. Beginning Tuesday, September 27, the municipality is doubling the acceptable amount of branch bundles associated with organics collection so residents may set out 10 branch bundles on their organics collection day. Branches should be tied in armload-sized bundles. No bundle can exceed 75 pounds and no individual piece can be more than four feet long or larger than eight inches in diameter. Up to 20 paper bags of yard waste will also be accepted.

From Wednesday, September 28 to Wednesday, October 5, there will be a total of eight short-term debris drop-offs at the following locations from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

  • 2 Lyle Street, Dartmouth
  • 144 Thornhill Drive, Dartmouth
  • 26 Thomas Raddall Drive, Halifax
  • 50 Cheviot Hill, Porters Lake
  • Kinsac Ballfield (near 1703 Beaver Bank Road), Beaver Bank
  • Sheet Harbour Community Centre, 183 Pool Rd, Sheet Harbour
  • Lake Charlotte Boat Launch, 11475 Highway 7, Lake Charlotte
  • Peace Park, 67 Park Road, Musquodoboit Harbour

There is no charge for using this service. Residents will be responsible for delivering and unloading all materials at these sites at their own risk. Note: bags, construction debris or other waste will not be accepted at these locations.

HRM Offices will be closed on Monday, September 26, 2022. This will support efforts to minimize traffic on our roads, while crews undertake clean-up and power restoration work. Employees who are able to work from home (with a reliable power source) are being asked to do so.

Transit – Halifax Transit is operating but expect delays and detours.

Library –  Please check our website at http://halifaxpubliclibraries.ca before leaving to visit your Library. They will post any changes to our regularly scheduled open hours as the day progresses.  With wifi, heat, lights, books, magazines we can say libraries are worth every penny.

Halifax Water – Halifax Water is open. If customers lose water services or experience sewer backups, please contact the Halifax Water 24-Hour Emergency Line at 902-420-9287.

Water distribution – HRM has opened sites for those affected by water shortages (no power results in no ability to pull water from private wells) have been set up at the Chezzetcook Fire Station (Station 23) and Tantallon Fire Station (Station 65).

Recreation – All recreation centres that are not being used for Comfort Centres or Evacuation Centres will be closed tomorrow. We will be re-assessing for potential re-opening on Tuesday.

Parks –  All-weather fields will reopen Monday, September 26.

Ball diamonds and sports fields will remain closed today and Monday, September 26.

The Halifax Public Gardens will remain closed today and Monday, September 26.

Due to safety concerns, Shubie Park and Point Pleasant Park will remain closed today and Monday, September 26 given the presence of fallen trees, as well as broken and hanging branches. Residents are still strongly advised to avoid visiting other municipal parks until any damage has been addressed, which may take several days. Please exercise particular caution in Sir Sandford Fleming Park, which also has many downed trees and branches.

Camp Hill and Fairview Lawn cemeteries will reopen tomorrow, Monday, September 26; however, some areas may be closed off as crews continue clean-up efforts.

Public Schools – classes are cancelled for Monday, September 26, in Halifax Regional Centre for Education, Cape Breton-Victoria Regional Centre for Education, Strait Regional Centre for Education and Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education. Classes in Conseil scolaire acadien provincial schools (CSAP) in its northern and metro groups are also cancelled Monday.

Burn ban – A burn ban will be in place across the municipality for the next 48 hours (Sunday to Tuesday). Residents are urged not to burn tree debris.
And that’s it!