Crews in Kouchibouguac National Park in Kouchibouguac, N.B. clear roads on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017.

Crews in Kouchibouguac National Park in Kouchibouguac, N.B. clear roads on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017.
Photo Credit: PC / Diane Doiron

Trudeau to visit New Brunswick areas hard hit by ice storm

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will visit the Atlantic province of New Brunswick today following the ice storm disaster which left thousands of residents without power in its wake.

Trudeau is expected to tour the Acadian Peninsula and visit emergency shelters set up by the authorities, as well as the military operations centre to thank the personnel that has helped with the cleanup for the past week.

As of 11 am today, NB Power reported more than 3,500 outages remained. Most of them are located on the Acadian Peninsula.

At the peak of the disaster, more than 130,000 customers across the province were without power. In total, about 200,000 customers have been affected.

Carbon monoxide poisonings rise
Downed power poles and ice covered signs are shown in Escuminac, N.B., on Friday, Jan. 27, 2017. Thousands of people in New Brunswick are still without power, days after a winter storm blasted through the region.
Downed power poles and ice covered signs are shown in Escuminac, N.B., on Friday, Jan. 27, 2017. Thousands of people in New Brunswick are still without power, days after a winter storm blasted through the region. © PC/Diane Doiron

Two people have died and 42 people have been hospitalized suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning in the wake of last week’s ice storm, as desperate residents turned to camp stoves and other flame burning devices to keep their homes warm and to cook some food.

“There are still stories — I saw it personally — of people trying to use … barbecues or generators inside the house, inside the garage,” NB Power president Gaëtan Thomas told CBC Thursday.

With files from CBC News and The Canadian Press

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