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CTV News
5 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Wildfires in Western Canada have Maritimers mindful of warm, dry conditions
Some Cape Bretoners are wary of possible wildfires as the Maritimes faces a dry week. With intense wildfires still burning in Western Canada, a Cape Bretoner who experienced a similar disaster said on Tuesday that he knows first-hand what it feels like to be dealing with that kind of danger. 'For me, it was a life-changing experience,' said Rick Chezenko of Sydney, who lived through the Fort McMurray, Alta. wildfires in 2016. 'It's quite a terrifying endeavour.' With a stretch of warm, dry weather this week here in the Maritimes, Chezenko said what's happening in western Canada now is a reminder of how quickly these fires can spread. 'It has happened here before, and it could happen here again with the weather changing constantly,' Chezenko said. Just last week, a wildfire in Framboise, N.S. in Richmond County burned up 15 hectares and destroyed a vacant trailer. It was contained within 24 hours. Richmond County wildfire A wildfire in Richmond County, N.S. broke out Thursday, May 29, 2025. Deputy fire chief, Craig MacNeil, was part of a crew that responded from the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. He says this time of year it's important for both fire officials - and the public - to be mindful of the conditions. 'It's been worse in recent years, but I think it's due to the hurricane [Fiona in 2022] and the amount of fuel that is laying around the floor of the forest right now,' MacNeil said. Scott Tingley, manager of forest protection for Nova Scotia's Department of Natural Resources, said while most of the province is in a low-to-moderate forest fire risk right now - things can change quickly. 'We do expect that the risk will increase through the week,' Tingley said. 'Even though we might have had significant rainfall, those hot, dry days can result in what we call the 'fine fuels' - the twigs, any dry grass that is out there, all the lighter things - they dry out very quickly.' CTV Atlantic meteorologist Kalin Mitchell said a haze of wildfire smoke from the Prairies moved in aloft of the Maritimes over the weekend. He added that while the smoke is thin and high enough not to impact air quality here, more could arrive from the west Wednesday and Thursday. Chezenko, meanwhile, still has vivid memories of having to escape the Fort McMurray fires and said people should take precautions and follow the rules. 'I've seen how fast these fires can move, and it's crazy,' Chezenko said. The European Union's climate monitoring service said on Tuesday that smoke from the wildfires out west has reached some parts of northwestern Europe. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CTV News
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
From recovery to the ring: a Cape Breton wrestler's comeback story
Most wrestlers don't make their debut after their athletic prime but Rick Chezenko from Louisbourg, N.S., stepped into the ring for the first time at age 42 on Sunday in front of family, friends and a hometown Cape Breton crowd. 'To hear the crowd chant 'Chezenko' over and over, it was pretty surreal', Chezenko said. 'It was like something I'd dreamt of as a kid.' Chezenko says he put his dreams on hold for years because of addiction. 'I stopped drinking in August 2023, so I'm over twenty months alcohol-free and over a year clean from cocaine use', Chezenko said. The road to recovery started with a meeting at Loaves and Fishes in Sydney, N.S., he said. 'There was a lot of times when I didn't really want to live', Chezenko said. 'I'm just grateful that I found my way into the rooms of recovery because a lot of people have wrapped their arms around me.' Chezenko's wrestling journey began during his recovery when he made it onto a reality TV show in Nova Scotia called 'Wrestle Centre Boot Camp.' On May 3, he made his debut at an East Coast Pro Wrestling card in New Waterford, N.S., before a supportive crowd. 'The whole cliche, 'It's never too late' - it's not really a cliche, if you're willing to do the work', Chezenko said. Chezenko's next appearance in the ring will be June 14 in New Waterford and his reality TV appearances will air in September. 'Your dreams are possible,' Chezenko said. 'They really can become reality. They don't have to stay dreams. I'm one of the lucky ones.' For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
