The maritime province of New Brunswick suffered the brunt of the freezing rain storm that made it’s way through southeastern Canada earlier this week.
Hydro crews from the neighboring province of Quebec, joined the 270 teams from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the state of Maine in the United States, in an effort to help restore power to the 74,000 customers still without it. Yesterday 130,00 customers were without power.
The Acadian Peninsula and the Moncton area took the brunt of the storm, which brought freezing rain and ice pellets to the province on Tuesday and Wednesday. 27 schools remain closed and traffic lights are out, making driving more dangerous in the icy conditions.
In some areas, gas stations were also running low, and fears of a shortage led to long lineups, with reports of 30-car line-ups taking two and a half hours to get through.
Ivan Robichaud of Shippagan, New Brunswick was in one of the line-ups. “People were very patient,” he told CBC News. “A few people tried to bypass the line by bringing their own jerrycans to be filled but they were turned away.”
Miramichi mayor Adam Lordon, told CBC News that he thought the second day without power would be challenging but he said people have been in relatively good spirits.
“We’re doing everything we can to make sure people are as comfortable as possible,” Lordon said.
“In a community like Miramichi, people always come together to look after one another.”
Several ‘warming centres’ have been set up in public buildings across the province for those in need.
Lines are down in Caraquet following this week’s winter storm. (Rene Landry/Radio Canada
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