The strongest storm to ever hit the east coast wasn't strong enough to stop a wedding
Peter Dunlap just returned to Ottawa from his nephew’s wedding in Halifax, but it wasn’t the wedding they expected.
When the power went out after post-tropical storm Fiona struck, the couple still got married by candlelight.
“The wedding was not until Saturday at 3:00 but we lost power at about 10:30 on Friday,” says Dunlap.
The storm cut power to the venue the night before the big day, but the celebrations went on. The guest listed ended up being cut in half because of cancelled flights and avoiding the risk.
“It was catered offsite. The food was brought in hot. There was lots of candlelight and a couple lamps done by generators. The drinks were cold, everything was very well done,” says Dunlap. “The band was acoustic for the majority of the night, but people danced and had a great time. It was really a success.”
As the east coast begins a long recovery, there are some heading into the area to help. Hydro Ottawa has sent 15 workers and 10 vehicles to the east coast. They are already on the way.
“They’re all power line technicians, so they’re all able to string and install poles and power lines. Anything Nova Scotia Power needs, these guys can do,” says Bryce Conrad, Hydro Ottawa President and CEO. “None of us is built or staffed to deal with monstrous events like this. So when they do occur, it’s just part and parcel of the industry that we support each other.”
Conrad says Ottawa crews will be there for seven to 10 days and more will be sent if needed.
As for the newly married couple, it seems like it was meant to be all along.
“My nephew’s parents, my brother and his wife, were married in the middle of a snowstorm in 1988 that closed airports and train stations,” says Dunlap. “So it was just kind of par for the course.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.