Residents near Shediac coping with damage from Fiona - Action News
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New Brunswick

Residents near Shediac coping with damage from Fiona

More than two days after Fiona, Anne Godin is coping with the reality that her cottage is lost.

Most of the homes along the water in Grand-Barachois are a complete loss, says resident

A community in Grand-Barachois, just 10 kilometers east of Shediac.
A community in Grand-Barachois, just 10 kilometres east of Shediac, is coping with the destruction caused by Fiona. (Shane Fowler/CBC)

More than two days after Fiona, Anne Godin is coping with the reality that her cottage is lost.

The hurricane swept acrosssoutheastern New Brunswick overnight Friday, impacting manyof the homes along the coastline near Shediac.

Godin said her home in Grand-Barachois, about 10 kilometres east of Shediac, was no exception.

"Everything is damaged, there's nothing we can save," she said.

"25 years of souvenirs with friends and family, my kids it's hard."

Anne Godin says her "paradise" is a complete loss after Fiona swept the cottage off its foundation. (Shane Fowler/CBC News)

Mud still covered the floor of her home Monday with water stainsabout one foot up on the interior walls.

Godin said the entire home shifted offits foundation.

She said she was optimistic heading into the storm and thought it would be similar toDorian in 2019, but this was worse.

Godin said she first saw how bad the situation was when pictures of the community began to surface on Facebook.

"I just cried I loved that place so much," said Godin, "I called it my little paradise."

Godin's floors remain covered in mud after strong waves from Fiona flooded her home. (Shane Fowler/CBC News)

Jacinthe LeBlanc, a resident of the community, said her cottage was one of the lucky few that only lost shingles and siding, but she is heartbroken for her neighbours.

She said most of the cottages in her community are a complete loss.

"We're a close knit community, so it's really devastating to see this."

LeBlanc said each home in the strip of cottages closest to the beach had a yard with grass, but it is now completely covered in sand.

Residents of Grand-Barachois reckon with damage and loss from Fiona

2 years ago
Duration 2:23
In Grand-Barachois, N.B., residents found homes and cottages knocked off their foundations, piles of broken glass and flooding after post-storm Fiona.

"The entire beach has moved over, even a few feet past the cottages."

LeBlanc said three-to-five metre waves crashed against the cottages at peak high tide Saturday morning.

She said the community is still in disbelief.

"Dorian hit us hard too, but nothing like this," said LeBlanc, "Dorian never moved houses."

Grand-Barachois resident Jacinthe LeBlanc says she's heartbroken for her neighbours who lost their homes. (Shane Fowler/CBC News)

She said the community came together to help one another clean up the roof shingles, trees and beach debris off the roads andproperties.

Brent Dufoe said he can't get to his cottage by car, because a home that was moved offits foundation is now blocking the access road.

His cottage had glass railings that were destroyed by the wind, and about eight inches of water flooded his basement.

Brent Dufoe says he can't drive to his home in Grand-Barachois because a house that was taken off its foundation due to the storm now blocks the access road. (Shane Fowler/CBC News)

"Almost everybody suffered some damage," said Dufoe.

'Could have been worse'

Pam Novak at the Atlantic Wildlife Institute near Sackville said the centre endured some damage from the hurricane.

"There's been some damage for sure, but it could have been much worse," Novak told Shift, "We're actually quite lucky and thankful."

Novak said the centre's main focus was the safety of staff and animals, and luckily no one was injured.

She said an outdoor duck enclosure and storage unit were damaged by trees, somethingNovak said willtake a couple of days to fix.

Novak said the centre was still without power as of Monday afternoon, and Novak was told not to expect electricity for another two or three days.

"Obviously it complicates things," she said.

"For now, we're keeping everybody as warm and comfy as we can and just keeping stress levels down."

With files from Shane Fowler and Shift