City Update: Friday, October 14, 2022

City Update: Friday, October 14, 2022
Posted on 10/14/2022
The City of Charlottetown Emergency Measures team and EMO partners remain dedicated to community recovery and clean up efforts over the weekend while balancing reopening and the delivery of core services. Work crews continue with recovery efforts in several areas of focus, including sidewalk clean up, repair and replacement.

Due to the volume of fallen and damaged municipal trees, work crews will continue clean up efforts for several weeks in parks and on trails. As this work continues, residents are urged to continue using caution in City parks, trails, and wooded areas in particular.

Although Maritime Electric crews have restored power to nearly all of Charlottetown, residents should report individual outages to the Maritime Electric Contact Centre at 1-800-670-1012. 

While power is now restored at Victoria Park, the public washrooms at the Victoria Park ballfield clubhouse and tennis clubhouse remain closed due to repairs. The washrooms located at the Victoria Park outdoor pool and splash pad are open to users. The Victoria Park boardwalk, Queen's Wharf (bottom of Queen Street) and Confederation Landing Park are open to users; however, residents are reminded to stay out of areas that have not been cleared. 

Please note that while crews, operations and emergency measures administration will continue over the weekend, the next City update will be issued on Monday, October 17. 

Residential Property Clean Up Program
The City of Charlottetown, in partnership with the Provincial Department of Fisheries and Communities, will help administer a new tree clean up program to support residents with the impact of post-tropical storm Fiona. Specifically, the program will assist residents with cleaning up damaged and fallen trees, along with removing tree debris from their private property.

Charlottetown residents can apply for the new program online or by phone. Next, City staff will assess the applications, conduct site visits and evaluate reported damage in order to prioritize impacted properties. City contracted crews will then be deployed to address and clear damaged trees from these properties.

To date, more than 1,300 requests have been received for residential property clean up assistance in Charlottetown. Since the City began administering the program on Tuesday, October 11, over 115 site visits have been completed, and debris clean up work is now underway.

To learn more, or to apply, visit charlottetown.ca/fiona or call 902-629-2594 during regular business hours.

Debris Pick Up and Drop Off
Where possible and if it is safe to do so, residents are encouraged to cut tree branches into pieces four (4) feet in length or shorter and place them next to the roadway. To assist with the clean-up efforts, pieces that are wider than 10 inches in diameter should be cut down into pieces that are two (2) feet in length or shorter. Residents are reminded not to pile garbage or other debris with tree branches and stumps. This will slow the clean-up efforts and may cause safety risks to work crews and equipment as they are not part of the tree debris pickup. Due to volume, however, this work will continue for several days.

For information from Island Waste Management Corporation, please visit: iwmc.pe.ca/fiona-cleanup/.

Trails, Parks and Playgrounds
The Confederation Trail, from Joseph A. Ghiz Memorial Park to Royalty Junction Road, is now open to the public. Members of the public are asked to stay off the section of the Confederation Trail between Royalty Junction Road and Lower Malpeque Road, which is closed until further notice as recovery efforts continue.

The following seven (7) parks and playgrounds remain closed until further notice:
Messer Park (3 Messer Avenue)
MacMillan Park (16 MacMillan Crescent)
Upton Park (21 Upton Park Drive)
Connaught Square (60 Richmond Street)
MacPherson Park (57 Cottonwood Drive)
J Muise Park (Patterson Drive)
MacLean Park (14 Cheverie Avenue)

Safety Reminders
Important and essential safety reminders include:
Residents are urged to put safety first and stay away from areas where crews are actively working.
Open burning is not permitted.
Barbeques and cooking appliances are not to be used indoors, this includes garages and balconies.
Generators must be used outdoors and away from any building openings. 
Do not attempt to clear trees or branches away from downed power lines. 
Do not pile tree debris on the roadway.

Recovery Through Acts of Kindness
The City has launched a dedicated engagement page for the community called "Recovery Through Acts of Kindness" on its digital engagement platform Charlottetown Hall. Residents are invited to share community stories of support and kindness online at charlottetownhall.ca/actsofkindness. The online engagement page is a testament to the strength of the community and an opportunity to recognize the hundreds of frontline workers, dedicated partners and community members working on the recovery and clean-up efforts.

Support Services
Any person in need of temporary shelter due to damage to their home or rental from Hurricane Fiona can contact the Red Cross at 1-800-863-6582. For information on government and community supports, please visit the Prince Edward Island Storm Response page.

Reporting a Municipal Issue
To report an issue with Public Works or Water and Sewer Utility, please call our mainline at 902-566-5548. Residents can also call this line with any questions or concerns. We appreciate your continued patience.

Stay Informed
Following this Public Notice, the City will continue to keep residents informed through the City's social media channels, Twitter at @ChtownPE and Facebook at @CityofCharlottetown, or the City's website at charlottetown.ca/news.