Relief in Nova Scotia as main road reopens to Peggy's Cove after disastrous floods
CTV
The manager of a sea kayaking operation in Nova Scotia says locals and tourist alike are relieved to have a road reopened to a key provincial tourist destination.
The road to a popular tourist destination in Nova Scotia has reopened after devastating floods last month, bringing a spark of relief to a community hit hard by environmental disasters.
A temporary, one-lane bridge is now up near Blind Bay, N.S., which allows traffic to pass on its way between Halifax and the famous lighthouse in Peggy's Cove. The historic July floods had washed away the road in the area, leaving it impassable.
Pam Lovelace, the municipal councillor for the area, said the bridge is important development for residents' commutes, and for their peace of mind.
"We've just gone through the wildfires. And we're preparing for hurricanes," Lovelace said in an interview Sunday. The flooding, and its aftermath, had a significant effect on people's mental health, she added.
The flooding was triggered by torrential thunderstorms that began July 21, and dumped months worth of rain on parts of central Nova Scotia. Four people died trying to escape the rushing waters: 52-year-old Nick Holland, 14-year-old Terri-Lynn Keddy and Colton Sisco and Natalie Harnish, both six.
The rain began just less than two months after raging forest fires broke out in the Halifax and Shelburne County areas. The flames engulfed houses and forced tens of thousands of people to leave their homes in search of safety.
Next month will be the one-year anniversary of post-tropical storm Fiona making landfall in Nova Scotia. The storm destroyed several homes in the province, and it is believed to have swept an 81-year-old man out to sea.
