N.B. power outages expected to continue throughout the week: premier

CTV Atlantic: Blackout remains in N.B. New Brunswick premier doesn’t expect power to be restored for many residents until late this week. CTV's Cami Kepke has more.

Officials in New Brunswick say difficult working conditions prevented crews from hitting their goal of restoring 80 per cent power Saturday night, and the premier expects the blackouts to continue well into this week.

Sunday marked the sixth day many New Brunswickers remained off the grid. As of 5 p.m., more than 26,000 are still in the dark.

At its peak, more than 150,000 were off the grid, with seven communities declaring states of emergency.

“We have the backbone,” said NB Power president Gaetan Thomas. “We have hospitals, we have all the sub stations powered, we have most of the main feeds powered, so today we had the gas stations, the stores, people can get water.”

Most of the outages remain along the Acadian Peninsula. In many areas, the buzz of generators fill the air.

Two people have died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning, while the number of residents in hospital has shot up.

“The number of people being treated, or have been treated for suspected in hospital for illnesses suspected to be related to carbon monoxide, is 31,” said New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant.

Communities like Shippagan, Lameque, and Pidgeon Hill have seen whole blocks of power poles collapse. NB Power says as many as 400 new poles will be needed province-wide.

Up to 150 troops from the Canadian Armed Forces will be deployed to the hardest hit parts of the province in the next 24 hours, clearing debris, handing out supplies, and conducting well-being checks. There is no timeline for how long they will stay in the region.

Part of the challenge now is preparing people for what could happen when the power comes back on.

“While you're waiting for your power to come back on, unplug things. Turn off lights, and other things of that matter,” Gallant said.

“We are reactivating the system,” said Thomas. “Some of your neighbours are doing it with their own generators, and if it's not wired properly, it can backfeed on the line and you can end up receiving a shock – a fatal shock – if the line is laying on the ground.”

As light fades, 350 crews will try to meet their new target of restoring power to 60 per cent of the Acadian Peninsula.

Warming centres will remain open, and all schools have been shut down in the area for at least Monday and Tuesday.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Cami Kepke.