Latest news with #VernonRiver
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fire chief cautions onlookers after crews impeded from house fire scene in Stratford
The chief of the Cross Roads Fire Department is reminding Islanders to be aware around fire scenes after firefighters were impeded from getting to a house fire on Friday in Stratford. The Cross Roads department, along with Vernon River and Charlottetown departments, responded to the fire on Harvest Drive at around 8:50 p.m. The house was destroyed but the occupants escaped uninjured. Greg McCormick said first responders encountered a large crowd of onlookers at the scene. "The volume of traffic and the volume of people did create some impediments for the fire apparatus to get through," he said. "And in some cases we actually had reports that some of our hoses were driven over by cars, kind of exiting out of the area." He said he wants to remind Islanders to keep their distance while firefighters respond. "These sort of calls are very, very intense," he said. "We would ask that if they are going to kind of travel up there, be aware that there's fire apparatus going back and forth, and park out of the way, or better yet just don't go up there at all. Stay well back and observe what you can from a distance. Just let us do our job." Investigation underway He said answering a fire call is difficult enough without added complications. McCormick said the house was "heavily involved in fire" when crews arrived. He said several tankers, a rescue truck and support were called in from the Vernon River and the Charlottetown fire departments. One crew had an aerial device. "Crews were on scene until about 1 a.m. just dealing with hotspots, and we did end up going back this morning around 6:30 to deal with a rekindle," he said. He believes the occupants of the home had family and friends to stay with for the night. McCormick said neighbours were affected by heat and smoke, though they were able to return to their homes. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the fire marshal's office.
CBC
18-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Businesses in rural P.E.I. adapting, seeking new markets amid global tariff turmoil
Social Sharing Several rural business owners in Prince Edward Island are feeling the pressure of an uncertain global trade environment, much of it sparked by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, but many say they will be able to adapt and find opportunities. That was one of the key takeaways from an event held Wednesday in Vernon River, organized by the Community Business Development Corporation. The event brought together entrepreneurs and people from various industries on P.E.I. to connect and share strategies amid the ever-changing trade landscape. Evan Nobles is co-owner of Belfast Mini Mills, which manufactures textile machines and exports them around the world. He estimates about half of the company's sales are to the United States, and customers south of the border were worried that Belfast Mini Mills would pull out of that market entirely. "It was a big hiccup at the beginning. As soon as we heard the tariffs, everyone started to pull back. Just the threat of the tariffs made it hard to get supplies in," Nobles told CBC News. "To lose it completely would be tough, but we would pivot, and we wouldn't leave them hanging." Open to new markets Nobles said the tariff news has led to some growth opportunities, especially within Canada and overseas. "Canadians were reaching out to us more. Everyone wants to support local… So that helped," he said. "There has been a lot more in the United Kingdom looking to leave the U.S. and support more Canadians, so we're the first ones they look at for textile machines at this size." He said expanding into new markets is a slow and strategic process, particularly for such a niche business. To grow their customer base and diversify, the company has advertised on social media and reached out to sales reps overseas to connect with potential buyers. The push to find new markets is a trend many owners discussed at the event, said Claus Schmidt, executive director of CBDC Central P.E.I. "Of course, it's not an overnight process. We can tell everybody's now saying, 'OK, you know what? We got to diversify,'" Schmidt said. "We know the next four years are going to probably keep looking like this, and maybe longer." Schmidt added that although the trade landscape remains uncertain, Island businesses have shown resilience in the face of other challenges over the past few years, from the pandemic and potato wart crisis to post-tropical storms. 'We're still hustling' The ongoing trade uncertainty can also have impacts on the food and manufacturing sectors. Maureen Hanley, co-owner of Navigate Food Safety Solutions in Montague, works with food manufacturers in Canada and across the globe to help them meet regulatory standards and improve safety practices. In the food and beverage sector where profit margins are already tight, any disruption like Trump's trade war and reduced access to U.S. markets can be especially tough. "There's not a lot of margin in there," Hanley said. "They run lean already, and they're being impacted on multiple levels by many things, and so the extra reduced market in the U.S., that's a tough hit." Still, she said she hasn't heard much industry concern over tariffs lately, even at major trade shows. "I went to a trade show in Florida in March. Big, big trade show. Nobody was really talking about it," she said. "That's my world. The show must go on. They're still hustling. We're still hustling."
