Latest news with #PaulineWhite
CBC
12-05-2025
- General
- CBC
C.B.N. area MHA says government is looking at financial assistance after wildfire
The MHA for Carbonear–Trinity–Bay de Verde says the provincial government is currently assessing the damage left behind after a wildfire in Conception Bay North last week. Steve Crocker's district includes Small Point–Adam's Cove–Blackhead–Broad Cove. At least 12 houses were destroyed and about 45 structures impacted. Crocker spoke with CBC News on Monday about the government's response to the event. CBC News asked if the province plans to assist those affected by the fire with financial help. Crocker said some residents may be eligible for the federal Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements program, but added that the province is in talks. "That's a conversation we will continue to have through other government departments," he said. In the meantime, Crocker is encouraging people to remove debris from their properties and to keep their grass trimmed during the warmer months to lessen the damage from any possible fires in the future. He said a fire ban in the Conception Bay North region might be helpful, because this year "is going to be very bad." Cellular concerns But Adam's Cove residents like Pauline White have renewed their calls for improved cellular service in the area since the fire. "We had a cell phone that we couldn't use. There was no wi-fi, no cell signal. I couldn't get a hold of any of my family to let them know that we were OK. I couldn't let anybody know about the house," White told CBC News on Friday. On Monday, she said that Eastlink customers in her town were told that the company will not restore internet until May 29. CBC News has asked Eastlink for a response. The town also woke up without service from Bell on Sunday morning due to fire damage to the company's infrastructure, depleting its already spotty cellular service. Crocker — who is also the minister of industry, energy and technology — said cell service has been a longtime challenge in that region of the province. He said his department works closely with companies like Bell, but more work could be done. "Obviously it is a significant challenge," said Crocker. "And when you see circumstances like [what happened] this past week, it highlights the need."
CBC
12-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Residents of C.B.N. say wildfires show need for improved rural cell coverage
Residents in the Newfoundland and Labrador town of Small Point–Adam's Cove–Blackhead–Broad Cove say the recent wildfire emergency should serve as the latest warning that cellular service in rural parts of the province needs to be greatly improved. Pauline White, who lives in the fire-stricken community of Adam's Cove, says she's been concerned over the lack of service in the region for years. When she was forced to evacuate this week at the height of an out-of-control wildfire, and left the wi-fi connection in her home, she says she was essentially cut off from important information and updates as a result. "We had a cell phone that we couldn't use. There was no wi-fi, no cell signal. I couldn't get a hold of any of my family to let them know that we were OK. I couldn't let anybody know about the house," she said Friday. "My phone is reading SOS," she added, referring to her phone's connection to a signal only allowing for emergency calls. Residents in that region aren't alone in their desire for a stronger signal. Those in other rural areas of Newfoundland and Labrador have been calling on the province to improve signal coverage for years. Earlier this week, Bell Canada pulled out of an agreement that would have brought high-speed internet and cellular service to the north coast of Labrador. The company said the cost was too high and there were challenges in geography. Speaking with CBC News in September, former Burgeo-La Poile MHA Andrew Parsons said the province knows about the challenges residents face. White said she's heard of plans for better services for years, but says now is the time for action — especially given new political leadership both federally and provincially. "Please get us connected. It is essential," she said. "We're an hour-and-a-half outside of St. John's, the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, a province in the nation of Canada, and we do not have cell service that we can rely on.… This is the 21st century. We have got to move forward." Sue Rose, a town councillor in Small Point–Adam's Cove–Blackhead–Broad Cove, said poor service is the number one concern she hears from tourists who visit the region each year. The town will take lessons away from their response to the wildfire, she said, including how they share information. That's a challenge with poor service, she added. "This is life and death at times," Rose said. "This is not acceptable anymore, and it's long overdue."
CBC
08-05-2025
- CBC
‘We basically drove through fire': Woman recounts daring rescue in Adam's Cove via ATV
Pauline White says when she got word that two women were trapped, she — and her friend, Darlene — jumped on their ATVs, and gunned it down the track to Adam's Cove to beat the flames. She tells her story to the CBC's Henrike Wilhelm.
CBC
08-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Adam's Cove fire deemed out as as state of emergency continues in C.B.N., fire chief says
A wildfire that forced residents of Small Point-Adam's Cove-Blackhead-Broad Cove in Conception Bay North to flee their community has now been deemed as put out, says the community's fire chief. Roger Gillingham, chief of the North Shore Volunteer Fire Department, told Radio-Canada that hotspots around the fire remain, but favourable weather conditions allowed several dozen firefighters to control the fire. Multiple water bombers and the use of nine pump trucks also helped quell the fire. The fire prompted the town to declare a state of emergency Wednesday night, and residents of Adam's Cove north of Cave Lane, those north of Black Head Brook and those in the area south of River Loop Road in Western Bay have been told to evacuate. In an update at around 2:30 p.m. NT Thursday, the provincial government said more than 20 structures, including homes and a warehouse housing recreational vehicles, had been affected by the fire, which the government said was 600 hectares in size. The province also said the ambulance base in the Adam's Cove region has been evacuated as a precaution. Ambulances have been relocated north to Old Perlican, the update said. Adam's Cove resident Pauline White told CBC News the situation on Wednesday was frantic. She and a friend attempted to get to her sister's home in the early hours of the evacuation, but quickly found the route impassable. "We quickly became engulfed in flames and smoke. The dog was going crazy and it was like, 'no, we can't make it. We've got to back out,'" White said White reversed, but found another impassable road. Unable to drive the truck to safety, she says she and her friend got on their ATVs raced down a trail behind Adam's Cove. "So we basically drove through fire," she said. Arriving at her sister's home, they found fire everywhere. Everyone got out safely. White says she's since been back to her own home, and while it's still standing there are scorch marks around her house and garage. "It is Armageddon," said White. The scene in the community reminds her of the 2016 fire in Fort McMurray, which her brother and his family experienced. For now, White is staying with a friend, and at least three of her cats are alright but she hasn't seen two others. She says she's frustrated because of unreliable cell service in the area. "As a matter of fact, I still can't call my family and let them know we're OK and that the house is still fine," she said. Homes destroyed Meanwhile, the town's mayor says he doesn't know the full extent of the damage. "There's a lot of anxiety, a lot of uncertainty right now. And we don't even know exactly which homes have been lost. We know general areas," Mayor Curtis Delaney said. He says there's been no report of injuries, and a lot of the fire was contained overnight. There's still a number of active areas where firefighters are hoping to knock down on Thursday. "As things get cleaned up and hotspots within the community itself are put out, you know, we'll have a better idea of exactly the damage that's done," he said. He says some evacuees have gone to stay with family and friends, but the town is also using the local community centre and a school as evacuation centres. "I've had a number of people even this morning now, wondering now, 'Do I have a house? Is my house still standing,'" he said. The community has a population of around 400 but he says there are also seasonal residents. "It's heartbreaking to see the damage that a fire can do in such a short period of time." He says it's not safe for residents to return and told people to get information from the town's Facebook page. Delaney says every year they're dealing with drier conditions and a greater chance of fires. "All it takes is a spark and it could be my home just as well as anyone else's. It really hits home when it's your area and people that you know," he said. Frank Reynolds, a town councillor, says the last day has been devastating for the community, but everyone came together to help one another. "Everyone's affected. I don't know what's lost, I can't answer that, but it's a devastating time in this community," said Reynolds. Reynolds says the water bombers saved Blackhead and the surrounding area. Sue Rose, who is also a town councillor, says it was a difficult night, and while a few families have lost their homes, everyone is safe. "The firefighters came from all over and the RCMP were just fantastic. They took control and made sure everyone was not entering Adam's Cove," said Rose. Gerry Rogers says the water bombers hadn't been able to fly due to the fog earlier in the day, but they were eventually able to get into the air. "I think this is a direct result of climate change," she said. Power out According to the province's active wildfire dashboard, the fire at Adam's Cove is 15 hectares. Another fire burning at Harding's Pond in Holyrood is one hectare. Both are burning out of control. But CBC meteorologist Ashley Brauweiler says there is some good news in the day's forecast. "Today's relative humidity is quite high compared to yesterday, and showers are expected this afternoon and evening," she said. "The winds shift northeasterly tomorrow between 20-30 km/h with a big drop in temperatures, which should help — along with the chance of showers again tomorrow." The province said conditions are favourable to help suppress the fire on Thursday. Environment Canada has issued a special air quality statement for the northern Avalon Peninsula, because of the fires. "Reduced air quality can be expected along the path of the plumes," reads the statement. "Winds today and tonight will be predominately from the southwest, which should move the majority of the smoke out to sea." There are also fires in Fermeuse and Joe's Lake, northwest of Badger, that are under control. The RCMP has closed route 70 between Adam's Cove and Western Bay and police are asking people to head south toward Victoria or north toward Lower Island Cove. Cabot Academy in Western Bay and Persalvic School Complex in Victoria are also closed. There is also a power outage in the areas around Kingston and Ochre Pit Cove, affecting approximately 230 customers. Newfoundland Power took the power offline on Wednesday. Volunteers rally There are evacuation centres at Persalvic Elementary School in Victoria, the AYLA building on Crutches Road in Lower Island Cove and the Salem Community Centre in Small Point. Janessa Wheeler, a volunteer at the AYLA building, says last night around 10 people came to the centre, as well as pets like budgie birds, cats and dogs. She says the residents are in shock and don't know if they have homes to go back to. "It's devastating and it's sad," said Wheeler. There were many people dropping by to help with food and other donations like toiletries, she says, and local restaurants donated food for breakfast. "It warms my heart to know that there's people out there willing to do this. You don't know what to expect. You don't know when to expect anything coming."
CBC
08-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
More than 20 buildings hit by wildfire as state of emergency continues in C.B.N.
A wildfire that forced residents of Small Point-Adam's Cove-Blackhead-Broad Cove in Conception Bay North to flee their community continues to burn out of control Thursday. The town declared a state of emergency Wednesday night, and residents of Adam's Cove north of Cave Lane were told to evacuate. In a social media update posted Thursday afternoon, the provincial government said the evacuation order in Adam's Cove is still in effect, and they're advising residents of Western Bay to flee as well. The post said more than 20 structures had been affected by the fire. Adam's Cove resident Pauline White told CBC News the situation on Wednesday was frantic. She and a friend attempted to get to her sister's home in the early hours of the evacuation, but quickly found the route impassable. "We quickly became engulfed in flames and smoke. The dog was going crazy and it was like, 'no, we can't make it. We've got to back out,'" White said White reversed, but found another impassable road. Unable to drive the truck to safety, she says she and her friend got on their ATVs raced down a trail behind Adam's Cove. "So we basically drove through fire," she said. Arriving at her sister's home, they found fire everywhere. Everyone got out safely. White says she's since been back to her own home, and while it's still standing there are scorch marks around her house and garage. "It is Armageddon," said White. The scene in the community reminds her of the 2016 fire in Fort McMurray, which her brother and his family experienced. For now, White is staying with a friend, and at least three of her cats are alright but she hasn't seen two others. She says she's frustrated because of unreliable cell service in the area. "As a matter of fact, I still can't call my family and let them know we're OK and that the house is still fine," she said. Homes destroyed Meanwhile, the town's mayor says he doesn't know the full extent of the damage. "There's a lot of anxiety, a lot of uncertainty right now. And we don't even know exactly which homes have been lost. We know general areas," Mayor Curtis Delaney said. He says there's been no report of injuries, and a lot of the fire was contained overnight. There's still a number of active areas where firefighters are hoping to knock down on Thursday. "As things get cleaned up and hotspots within the community itself are put out, you know, we'll have a better idea of exactly the damage that's done," he said. He says some evacuees have gone to stay with family and friends, but the town is also using the local community centre and a school as evacuation centres. "I've had a number of people even this morning now, wondering now, 'Do I have a house? Is my house still standing,'" he said. The community has a population of around 400 but he says there are also seasonal residents. "It's heartbreaking to see the damage that a fire can do in such a short period of time." He says it's not safe for residents to return and told people to get information from the town's Facebook page. Delaney says every year they're dealing with drier conditions and a greater chance of fires. "All it takes is a spark and it could be my home just as well as anyone else's. It really hits home when it's your area and people that you know," he said. Frank Reynolds, a town councillor, says the last day has been devastating for the community, but everyone came together to help one another. "Everyone's affected. I don't know what's lost, I can't answer that, but it's a devastating time in this community," said Reynolds. Reynolds says the water bombers saved Blackhead and the surrounding area. Sue Rose, who is also a town councillor, says it was a difficult night, and while a few families have lost their homes, everyone is safe. "The firefighters came from all over and the RCMP were just fantastic. They took control and made sure everyone was not entering Adam's Cove," said Rose. Gerry Rogers says the water bombers hadn't been able to fly due to the fog earlier in the day, but they were eventually able to get into the air. "I think this is a direct result of climate change," she said. Power out According to the province's active wildfire dashboard, the fire at Adam's Cove is 15 hectares. Another fire burning at Harding's Pond in Holyrood is one hectare. Both are burning out of control. But CBC meteorologist Ashley Brauweiler says there is some good news in the day's forecast. "Today's relative humidity is quite high compared to yesterday, and showers are expected this afternoon and evening," she said. "The winds shift northeasterly tomorrow between 20-30 km/h with a big drop in temperatures, which should help — along with the chance of showers again tomorrow." Environment Canada has issued a special air quality statement for the northern Avalon Peninsula, because of the fires. "Reduced air quality can be expected along the path of the plumes," reads the statement. "Winds today and tonight will be predominately from the southwest, which should move the majority of the smoke out to sea." There are also fires in Fermeuse and Joe's Lake, northwest of Badger, that are under control. The RCMP has closed route 70 between Adam's Cove and Western Bay and police are asking people to head south toward Victoria or north toward Lower Island Cove. Cabot Academy in Western Bay and Persalvic School Complex in Victoria are also closed. There is also a power outage in the areas around Kingston and Ochre Pit Cove, affecting approximately 230 customers. Newfoundland Power took the power offline on Wednesday. Volunteers rally There are evacuation centres at Persalvic Elementary School in Victoria, the AYLA building on Crutches Road in Lower Island Cove and the Salem Community Centre in Small Point. Janessa Wheeler, a volunteer at the AYLA building, says last night around 10 people came to the centre, as well as pets like budgie birds, cats and dogs. She says the residents are in shock and don't know if they have homes to go back to. "It's devastating and it's sad," said Wheeler. There were many people dropping by to help with food and other donations like toiletries, she says, and local restaurants donated food for breakfast. "It warms my heart to know that there's people out there willing to do this. You don't know what to expect. You don't know when to expect anything coming."
