Hurricane Recovery Report, Oct. 6

EMERGENCY MEASURES ORGANIZATION--Hurricane Recovery Report, Oct. 6

Transportation and Public Works crews are assisting Colchester County, Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) and the military in the ongoing collection and removal of trees and other debris along provincially owned roads.

"The province will continue to work with federal and municipal agencies to ensure the recovery effort proceeds as quickly as possible," said Ernest Fage, Minister responsible for the Emergency Measures Act. "Over the weekend, power restoration continued and other services throughout HRM and eastern Nova Scotia were back in operation."

Outpatient clinics and surgeries have resumed at the QEII Health Sciences Centre and the Dartmouth General Hospital. Cancer, cardiac and vascular surgeries are the first priority.

Anyone who was not able to renew their driver's licence or vehicle registration by the end of September has until Friday, Oct. 10, to do so.

Over the weekend, the Red Cross and emergency social services set up five comfort centres in the communities of Ostrea Lake, Oyster Pond, Lawrencetown, Harrietsfield and at the Parker Street Community Centre in Halifax. The centres were run by the local communities. The Red Cross, emergency social services and the food bank provided water, food and blankets to those in need.

The Red Cross is encouraging those with power to help their neighbours who are still experiencing outages. Adopt a neighbour and invite them to use your kitchen, bathrooms and laundry facilities until their power is restored.

The Metro Food Bank distributed 10 tonnes of donated food to affected areas since the recovery effort began. In addition, 2,000 vouchers (valued at $115,000) for Sobeys and the Atlantic Superstore were distributed to those in need.

The fire marshal's office reminds Nova Scotians to be extra careful with open flames and other sources of heat while they are without power.

The following are tips to help identify potential safety risks when using gas powered appliances:

• Use the correct fuel in appliances like Coleman stoves or oil lamps. Substituting fuels is extremely dangerous.
• Generators, propane and liquid camp stoves are for outdoor use only.
• Be aware of the possibility of surges in generators when primary power is restored. For more information on power safety visit the Web site at www.nspower.ca .
• Space heaters create carbon monoxide. Ensure they are used in rooms with good ventilation and placed on a flat hard surface to prevent tipping. Do not leave the units unattended.

People are reminded again to stay away from downed power lines.

More information about the Hurricane Juan recovery efforts and contact numbers can be found on the Web site at www.gov.ns.ca/emo/ or through public inquiries. That number is 902-424-5200 in Halifax or toll-free 1-800-670-4357.