In Sackville, Hurricane Fiona caused prolonged power outages as hurricane-force winds knocked down trees and caused at least one building to collapse.
The warehouse on Crescent Street belongs to FRS Flooring Solutions.
“It was still standing Friday night,” said Damon Doncaster, a sales associate with the company. “I went to check on it… I think it was about 11 o’clock on Saturday morning, after I had heard a few rumours that the building had fallen.”
Sure enough, the old storage facility was a wreck.
Listen to Damon Doncaster speaking to CHMA on Tuesday, September 27, 2022:
Firefighters responded to about a dozen calls during the hurricane, according to Craig Bowser, chief of Sackville Fire and Rescue.
“Most of those calls were related to trees down on power lines, or power lines dangling, and we needed to secure an area for public safety,” he said.
Listen to Craig Bowser speaking to CHMA on Tuesday, September 27, 2022:
The Town of Sackville opened the Civic Centre as a warming centre for residents affected by power outages.
But very few people — perhaps just one or two — ended up using it, according to the municipality.
And one elderly Sackville resident said people on Devon Avenue were without power for more than 48 hours.
Janet Hammock’s electricity went out in the wee hours of Saturday morning, and it wasn’t restored until about 6 p.m. on Monday.
She wasn’t aware of resources like the warming centre, and suggested the town should be more proactive when it comes to communicating about those kinds of emergency plans, especially for seniors.
Listen to Janet Hammock speaking to CHMA on Tuesday, September 27, 2022:
CHMA reached out to officials from the Town of Sackville for comment.
“For Fiona, we had several days notice of the coming storm, which allowed us to communicate with residents on steps they should take to prepare,” Kieran Miller, senior manager of corporate projects, said in an email.
“During the storm, there was loss of power for various periods depending on the neighbourhood, but no significant impacts. There was no flooding [in Sackville], no major street closures, and many homes/businesses maintained power. We monitored the situation carefully throughout the weekend and provided updates on our Facebook page.”
The storm also meant cancellations for events like the farmer’s market, and last-minute changes for events including Sackville’s Fall Fair.
Concerts scheduled for Bill Johnstone Park were moved into the Sackville Curling Club.
Judith Cane, who emceed the event on Saturday, told CHMA about 60 people attended during the afternoon.
She praised the town for moving the event indoors on short notice, allowing the show to continue while providing another place for people to warm up with coffee, hot chocolate and snacks.
Listen to Judith Cane speaking to CHMA on Sunday, September 25, 2022:
At Campbell’s Funeral Home on Bridge Street, the storm knocked down a massive linden tree that stood more than three storeys high.
It fell onto the historical building, which dates back to the 1800s.
“I don’t usually get afraid of the weather,” said Erin Campbell, who owns the long-running family business. “But this storm scared me, just the intensity of the wind.”
Fortunately, the structure — where she lives with her young daughter Avery — appears to have sustained little damage. She figures it could have been a lot worse.
Listen to Erin Campbell speaking to CHMA on Saturday, September 24, 2022:
Jonathan “Scooter” Clark brought out his collection of chainsaws to help with the cleanup effort.
He’s the president of Replant Environmental, a tree-planting company that works on environmental restoration projects.
Listen to Jonathan “Scooter” Clark speaking to CHMA on Sunday, September 25, 2022:
What kinds of trees were most likely to get toppled?
“In some of the more heavily wooded areas, it was mostly balsam fir that were knocked down,” he said.
That’s notable because balsam fir does better in more northern climates, though it’s commonly found in New Brunswick’s timber plantations.
This article was updated on Thursday, September 29, 2022, at approximately 8:30 a.m. to include audio from an interview with Janet Hammock, and a response from the Town of Sackville.
