High winds knocked out power in thousands of homes in Nova Scotia and P.E.I. Friday night as people in Atlantic Canada began feeling the wrath of Fiona.
By 10 p.m., more than 14,000 homes and businesses in Nova Scotia had been plunged into darkness. Most of the outages were reported in the central part of the province, mainly in the communities of Sackville, Truro and Stellarton.
On Prince Edward Island more than 1,000 homes and businesses had lost power as the wind picked up across the region.
Earlier in the day, people across Atlantic Canada stocked up on last-minute essentials and storm-proofed their properties ahead of the arrival of Fiona, which forecasters said will hit the region as a "very powerful" post-tropical storm.
The storm, characterized as "historic" in magnitude by meteorologists, is expected to make landfall early Saturday morning, bringing hurricane-force winds and more than 100 millimetres of rain to much of the region and eastern Quebec. Closer to the path of Fiona, more than 200 millimetres of rain is expected to fall -- potentially leading to the washout of some roads.
Bob Robichaud, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said Fiona is shaping up to be a bigger storm system than Hurricane Juan, which caused extensive damage to the Halifax area in 2003. He said it's about the same size as post-tropical storm Dorian in 2019.
"But it is stronger than Dorian was," he told reporters during a briefing. "It's certainly going to be a historic, extreme event for Eastern Canada."
He said wind speeds could reach up to 145 km/h with gusts even higher in some areas.
Robichaud said the storm is moving northward and is expected to reach Nova Scotia waters late Friday night before passing through Cape Breton early Saturday. Fiona is expected to reach Quebec's Lower North Shore and southeastern Labrador early Sunday.
Dave Buis, vice-commodore of the Northern Yacht Club in North Sydney, N.S., said he is worried about the storm, which is expected to slam the island of Cape Breton.
"Oh definitely, I think this is going to be a bad one," Buis said in a telephone interview. "Hopefully it will slow up when it hits the cooler water, but it doesn't sound like it's going to." He said he removed his seven-metre sailboat from the water on Thursday.
On the eastern part of the island in the small Acadian community of Petit-de-Grat, N.S., fishermen were also busy dry-docking their boats, or attempting to lash them tightly to the wharf.
Lobster fisherman Kyle Boudreau said major storm damage is hard for a coastal community to absorb. "This is our livelihood. Our boats get smashed, our traps gets smashed ... it's stuff you don't have to start your season next year," he said.
Meanwhile, stores in Halifax sold out of propane gas cylinders used for camping stoves. Shelves in the camping department of a local Canadian Tire store that normally carried the small green canisters were completely bare.
But Halifax resident and plumber Chad Shiers advised that people in search of a small fuel tank could use plumbing propane.
"There's more ways to get what you need," he said Friday after buying a blue propane torch. "If I have fire I can eat. As long as they have what I need, I'm not going to panic."
Robichaud warned people across the region not to be complacent just because they aren't near the centre of the storm's track. "The impacts are going to be felt way beyond where the centre of the storm actually goes," he said.
Severe winds and rainfall are expected to result in "major impacts" for eastern Prince Edward Island, eastern Nova Scotia, southern and eastern New Brunswick, western Newfoundland, eastern Quebec and southeastern Labrador.
Coastal areas of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland are expected to experience pounding surf, with waves expected to reach more than 10 metres off Nova Scotia and more than 12 metres in eastern parts of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
In addition to significant storm surge, potential for flooding in coastal and mainland areas and an "all-time" low pressure across the region, the storm is expected to cause widespread power outages due to trees and electrical poles brought down by powerful winds.
A spokeswoman for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, said there are plans to open Centre 200 sports centre in Sydney as an evacuation centre Friday evening. Christina Lamey said the space is to be used by residents who feel they will be unsafe through the storm, particularly those living on the southern coast of the region. Halifax was also set to open four evacuation centres on Friday evening.
In P.E.I. Public Safety Minister Darlene Compton warned people who might be curious to stay away from coastal areas, saying it wasn't worth it to watch the storm roll in.
"My message is simple -- don't," Compton said during a briefing. "Don't go near the water, don't put yourselves and others at risk." An emergency alert from the province warned residents of severe flooding expected along the northern shoreline.
In downtown Charlottetown, the normally bustling Confederation Landing was unusually quiet. Restaurant owners Lisa and Robert Gale decided to keep Lobster on the Wharf open Friday afternoon to welcome a tour bus expected by 5 p.m. Robert Gale said the worst storm they had faced was Dorian. "We'd be lying if we said we weren't worried about Fiona," his wife Lisa added.
Red chairs that usually sat on the deck were stacked in their office along with tables, and they were hoping the storm surges are not so high that there is water in the restaurant.
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey issued a statement aimed at reassuring the people of his province Friday, saying that a provincial emergency operations centre has been activated, while Department of Transportation crews were already checking culverts and removing debris.
"Stay home if at all possible as this will not only help keep you and your family safe, but will avoid putting emergency responders in harm's way," said Furey.
In Quebec Friday, Premier Francois Legault said authorities were keeping a close eye on Fiona, which is on track to hit the Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Gaspe and the province's Lower North Shore.
"I want to tell people in those regions, be careful, there's a significant risk, prepare for the worst and we'll hope it goes well," Legault said in Laval.
The PMO said late Friday that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's departure for Japan is being delayed due to the ongoing situation with Hurricane Fiona. Trudeau plans to attend a state funeral for Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe.
Press Secretary Cecely Roy said on Twitter that Trudeau will be receiving briefings on the emergency response to the storm and will reach out to premiers. She said Public Safety Minister Bill Blair and Liberal Atlantic MPs are in close touch with their provincial counterparts.
"The federal government is ready to provide whatever support may be needed in the response, to keep Canadians safe."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2022. With files from Michael Tutton in Petit-de-Grat, N.S., Lyndsay Armstrong in Halifax, Hina Alam in Charlottetown and Sidhartha Banerjee in Montreal.
The U.S. Justice Department on Friday disclosed an Iranian murder-for-hire plot to kill Donald Trump, charging a man who said he had been tasked by a government official before this week's election with assassinating the Republican president-elect.
Average asking rents declined nationally on a year-over-year basis for the first time in more than three years in October, said a report out Thursday.
An elementary school in the Halifax area has backed away from a request that service members not wear uniforms to the school's Remembrance Day ceremony.
Welcome to Beyonce country. When it comes to the 2025 Grammy Award nominations, 'Cowboy Carter' rules the nation.
Israeli fans were assaulted after a soccer game in Amsterdam by hordes of young people apparently riled up by calls on social media to target Jewish people, Dutch authorities said Friday. Five people were treated at hospitals and dozens were arrested after the attacks, which were condemned as antisemitic by authorities in Amsterdam, Israel and across Europe.
Health Canada has announced a recall for electric space heaters over potential fire and burn risks, a notice published Thursday reads.
Canadians are experiencing a wave of warm weather across multiple provinces well into the fall season, shattering dozens of temperature records.
Prince William has described the past year as "brutal" following cancer diagnoses for his wife and father. "Honestly, it's been dreadful," he said.
Canada added lower-than-expected 14,500 jobs in October and wages of permanent employees rose, data showed on Friday, as the economy grappled to absorb the slack built up due to a rapidly rising population amid an overheated market.
An elementary school in the Halifax area has backed away from a request that service members not wear uniforms to the school's Remembrance Day ceremony.
Health Canada has announced a recall for electric space heaters over potential fire and burn risks, a notice published Thursday reads.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was one of the first world leaders to congratulate and speak with president-elect Donald Trump following his election victory.
A Winnipeg teacher previously charged with voyeurism and a number of other offences has been charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a former student.
Parents with children at two west-end daycares say they are scrambling to find alternative child-care arrangements after their centres informed them that fees are set to more than double in the New Year.
A driver's trip from London, Ont. to Ottawa to visit their girlfriend ended in a traffic stop for speeding on Highway 417, according to police.
The U.S. Justice Department on Friday disclosed an Iranian murder-for-hire plot to kill Donald Trump, charging a man who said he had been tasked by a government official before this week's election with assassinating the Republican president-elect.
Israeli fans were assaulted after a soccer game in Amsterdam by hordes of young people apparently riled up by calls on social media to target Jewish people, Dutch authorities said Friday. Five people were treated at hospitals and dozens were arrested after the attacks, which were condemned as antisemitic by authorities in Amsterdam, Israel and across Europe.
Donald Trump's victory in the United States presidential election instantly changed calculations for millions of migrants or potential migrants across the globe.
Police say they arrested a 23-year-old man suspected of shooting at least eight vehicles on a busy North Carolina highway as well as several area homes in recent days, in attacks that wounded a motorist.
A 13-year-old boy who had researched school shootings online was arrested hours after he tried to enter a Wisconsin elementary school while armed and then fled when confronted by school staff, police said.
The decadeslong ban of Salman Rushdie's 'The Satanic Verses' in his native India is now in doubt -- not because of a change of heart more than two years after the author's near-fatal stabbing, but because of what amounts to some missing paperwork.
The Supreme Court of Canada has clarified the legal path when reviewing the validity of government regulations, guidelines or other such instruments.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Thursday Canada will stand firm on its plan to rein in the number of newcomers entering the country, despite concerns that Donald Trump's re-election could spur an influx of migrants from the United States.
Sparks flew at a parliamentary committee Thursday as MPs questioned Canada's democratic institutions minister about a widely opposed provision in electoral reform legislation that seeks to delay the next fixed election date by one week.
Moderna said on Friday Canada's health regulator has approved its vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus in adults 60 years and older, making it the country's first authorized mRNA-based shot for the condition.
Hundreds of people will lose access to supervised consumption sites in Toronto when the province closes five of them next year, which will likely mean more public drug use and more overdoses, a new study suggests.
Following a particularly polarizing U.S. election that brought Donald Trump’s comeback to the presidency, some may be dealing with feelings of anxiety and stress, emotional wellness expert Michelle Jacob says.
New technology that was tested at the Assiniboine Park Zoo has arrived in Churchill to help track polar bears.
A Memorial University scientist says the mysterious white blobs washing up on Newfoundland beaches are actually gobs of plastic -- and they need to be cleaned up.
South Korea on Wednesday announced a package of steps to curb a surge in deepfake porn, saying it will toughen punishment for offenders, expand the use of undercover officers and impose greater regulations on social media platforms.
Several Canadians emerged as major contenders at the Grammy Awards for their work on Beyonce's country-pop smash "Cowboy Carter."
Celebrities from Hulk Hogan to Ariana Grande are sharing their reactions to the U.S. election, which will see Donald Trump return to the White House.
The decadeslong ban of Salman Rushdie's 'The Satanic Verses' in his native India is now in doubt -- not because of a change of heart more than two years after the author's near-fatal stabbing, but because of what amounts to some missing paperwork.
Canada added lower-than-expected 14,500 jobs in October and wages of permanent employees rose, data showed on Friday, as the economy grappled to absorb the slack built up due to a rapidly rising population amid an overheated market.
Average asking rents declined nationally on a year-over-year basis for the first time in more than three years in October, said a report out Thursday.
Experts say Donald Trump's election victory could shift interest rate policy in the U.S. as his promised policies risk higher inflation, which could ultimately have implications for Canadian rates and the loonie.
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
A social media influencer from Texas was disqualified from last weekend's New York City Marathon and banned from future competitions after he ran the race with a camera crew on e-bikes in tow.
As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.
Calgary will host the 2026 Grey Cup championship, officials said Friday.
Nic Demski is no stranger to the game when it comes to Winnipeg playoff football in November.
The NCAA Division I Council on Thursday approved a rule allowing players with Canadian Hockey League experience to compete at U.S. colleges starting next season.
A driver's trip from London, Ont. to Ottawa to visit their girlfriend ended in a traffic stop for speeding on Highway 417, according to police.
Recall notices have been issued for some Volkswagen models from 2006 to 2019 for airbag safety issues.
Two suspects accused of selling stolen cars while employed at a legitimate car dealership in Toronto are now facing a combined 176 charges, police say.
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.
A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.
A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.
Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.
A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.
A Windsor teen’s social media post showing off a distinctive Windsor pizza topping has gone viral, drawing millions of views worldwide and sparking new curiosity about Windsor-style pizza.
Auston Matthews has come face to face with his look-alike. On Thursday, the Maple Leafs star met seven-year-old Grayson Joseph, who went viral for dressing up as an Auston Matthews hockey card.
A Halifax junk remover shares some of his company’s strangest discoveries.
A serious crash in Chilliwack led to the closure of Highway 1 in both directions Friday morning.
The City of Abbotsford has had to make changes to its upcoming Remembrance Day ceremony because of a homelessness encampment on the grounds of city hall.
A man is dead after a crash in South Surrey Thursday evening, and police say they're still working to identify the driver who hit him.
Parents with children at two west-end daycares say they are scrambling to find alternative child-care arrangements after their centres informed them that fees are set to more than double in the New Year.
A Toronto man is facing a second-degree murder charge following a fatal stabbing at a social housing apartment building in Scarborough early Thursday morning.
A 37-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the trafficking of two women “throughout the Golden Horseshoe area” and police say that investigators believe there may be additional victims.
Calgary will host the 2026 Grey Cup championship, officials said Friday.
RCMP say a dozen calves were killed after a semi-truck hauling cattle overturned near Innisfail, Alta., on Thursday.
Calgary police are asking for public assistance to locate a man wanted on a number of warrants.
The Ottawa Police Service is investigating the discovery of a body in an Orleans park. Emergency crews responded to Aquaview Park on Aquaview Drive, near Brian Coburn Boulevard, at approximately 10:20 a.m. Friday.
A fire that destroyed two homes and significantly damaged a third home in Orléans this week was caused by an electrical malfunction of an extension cord.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada says the government held a briefing with unions on Thursday to discuss the 'Refocusing Government Spending Initiative." PSAC says, "without prior consultation, the government unilaterally announced their plans to cut costs across the federal public service."
Quebec’s police watchdog, known as the BEI, is looking into a police shooting that injured someone at a gas station in Longueuil Thursday.
Average asking rents declined nationally on a year-over-year basis for the first time in more than three years in October, said a report out Thursday.
Canadians are experiencing a wave of warm weather across multiple provinces well into the fall season, shattering dozens of temperature records.
The provincial government has announced the new chief executive officer of the Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) following Thursday's firing of the agency’s entire board of directors.
RCMP say a dozen calves were killed after a semi-truck hauling cattle overturned near Innisfail, Alta., on Thursday.
Allison Hadley says she has been having a hard time focusing on training for an upcoming cross-country skiing competition.
An elementary school in the Halifax area has backed away from a request that service members not wear uniforms to the school's Remembrance Day ceremony.
Tim Houston, who is seeking a second term as premier of Nova Scotia, released the PC’s 2024 election platform Friday morning at their campaign headquarters in Halifax.
Three people from west Africa have been killed in a collision in northwestern New Brunswick. The RCMP responded to the single-vehicle crash on Route 17, outside of Saint-Léonard, N.B., around 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
A Winnipeg teacher previously charged with voyeurism and a number of other offences has been charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a former student.
A serious assault in Winnipeg’s St. James area Thursday night has prompted road closures in the area.
Two Manitoba towns set new heat records on Thursday.
Police in Moose Jaw say one person was killed and two others were hurt in a single vehicle rollover later Thursday night.
A Grade 12 student from the town of Sturgis has been recognized nationally for a poem he wrote in honor of Remembrance Day.
A Saskatchewan drilling company will be paying a $15,000 fine after pleading guilty to violating one count under The Occupational Health and Safety act.
Costco Wholesale opened its first location in Brantford on Friday.
The holiday season is around the corner and there are several festive markets being held in the City of Kitchener to help get people in the spirit.
Waterloo Regional Police say a vehicle struck two cruisers during a traffic stop in Kitchener early Friday morning.
A group of Saskatoon police officers have been suspended, with pay, following an undisclosed incident.
An Indigenous dancer is searching for answers after she says her regalia was stolen.
It’s been eight years since Don Atchison’s 13-year run as mayor of Saskatoon ended, but the longest serving mayor in the city’s history is as passionate as ever, and he wants another crack at the job.
Three people have been charged in relation to One Direction singer Liam Payne's death in a fall from his Buenos Aires hotel balcony last month, Argentine authorities said on Thursday.
Fire crews quickly extinguished a vehicle fire Friday morning on Highway 17 near North Bay.
A northern Ontario man is charged with criminal harassment due to threatening conduct toward a neighbour in Elliot Lake following an alleged 'road rage' incident.
A three-vehicle crash north of St. Thomas Friday morning sent two people to hospital with minor injuries. It happened shortly before 8 a.m. at the intersection of Wellington Road and Ron McNeil Line.
Two teenage girls in London were assaulted by a woman on school property on Wednesday, according to police. Around 11:25 a.m., officers responded to the call at Regina Mundi Catholic Highschool.
If you think you’re safe from fraud, you’re likely wrong. Scammers use a variety of tactics, and target people of all ages and demographics. They use a variety of tactics like phishing emails, phone calls, text messages and more.
The Town of Wasaga Beach hopes its latest talks with the Ford government will help to gain traction on its plan to redevelop its beach.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is actively investigating an officer-related shooting in Orillia.
Orillia resident Ian Steele has won the Princess Margaret Home Lottery Bonus Prize.
The Windsor Police Service is looking for a suspect in connection to an armed robbery investigation in west Windsor.
Residents at 99 McNaughton Avenue West have been given a move-in date to return home.
A trio from the Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestra (WSYO) will perform a piece called ‘Ganz Klein Nachtmusik’ this weekend. The piece is newly discovered Mozart, found after 250 years.
Judicial recounts in British Columbia's provincial election should wrap up today, confirming whether Premier David Eby's New Democrats hang onto their one-seat majority almost three weeks after the vote.
The Bowen Road Cemetery in Nanaimo is home to 23 Commonwealth War Graves, which will soon be upright after lying flat for more than 60 years.
Inside Maxwell’s Auto Centre in Mill Bay is man who has his work cut out for him.
Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.
More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
Parks Canada has closed the east Rogers Pass area in British Columbia for avalanche control testing, saying it will cause Trans-Canada Highway closures too.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes turned a one-night homestand into a wild one-goal victory Wednesday night, defeating the Medicine Hat Tigers 7-6.
Lethbridge Polytechnic is opening its doors this week to prospective students and their families.
Three young people in Sault Ste. Marie have been charged with chasing down a victim and kicking and punching them while they were on the ground.
Two northern Ontario men were fined $1,100 each after pleading guilty to burning grass without a permit last spring.
A northern Ontario man is charged with criminal harassment due to threatening conduct toward a neighbour in Elliot Lake following an alleged 'road rage' incident.
A Memorial University scientist says the mysterious white blobs washing up on Newfoundland beaches are actually gobs of plastic -- and they need to be cleaned up.
School staff are being struck more often, students are fighting more frequently, and police are increasingly being called to school grounds, according to data compiled and released this week by the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association.
Newfoundland and Labrador's auditor general has issued a warning about the province's financial position as the government announced it would finish the 2024-25 fiscal year with a higher-than-expected deficit.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
