Military in Newfoundland ready to rebuild bridges as residents ration supplies

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Military help is on the way for communities that are rationing supplies and have been cut off by road and bridge washouts since hurricane Igor roared through eastern Newfoundland four days ago.

“We understand that there’s a great need out there,” Brig.-Gen. Tony Stack told a news conference Saturday.

“We’ve got a lot of people that have done this type of professional work all over the world, and we’re just really happy to be able to do it for our own people in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

“They’re getting on with sorting themselves out and helping their own situation. But we’re certainly willing to go to whatever means necessary to bring assistance.”

As the Canadian Forces prepared to lend a hand, a provincial ferry brought supplies to Marystown, the largest town on the Burin Peninsula.

Mayor Sam Synard said several tanker trucks with 80,000 litres of gasoline offloaded, bringing vital fuel supplies.

He said the town ran out of gasoline within 30 hours after the storm hit Tuesday.

The supplies were being rationed out to a lineup of vehicles, with each driver limited to a $20 purchase.

Synard said he expected the town would run out of fuel again before washed out bridges are restored – and as a result, the restrictions were necessary.

“It won’t keep us going, but it will take some of the short-term pain away,” he said.

“We don’t want any hoarding of gasoline. We want to make sure that people who really need it do get gasoline.”

The Category 1 hurricane blew through with wind speeds of more than 120 kilometres an hour, dumping more than 200 millimetres of rain in communities that bore the brunt of its power.

Towns and villages dotting the Burin and Bonavista Peninsulas have been without fresh supplies of water, food and gasoline since the lights went out and roads gave way in the storm. Central Newfoundland towns such as Gambo have also seen extensive damages that, provincewide, are expected to cost tens of millions of dollars to fix.

By late Saturday, about 2,000 people were still without power, including hundreds of people in St. John’s.

About 140 engineers from CFB Gagetown arrived by ferry and were to station themselves in Clarenville, N.L., about two hours northwest of St. John’s.

They are expected to help rebuild two bridges and provide clean water if necessary, while three Sea King helicopters will deliver much-needed supplies.

Marystown has been isolated since a key bridge at Long Pond failed in high winds and rain. The crucial link is one location where the military engineers could begin work as early as Sunday.

Transportation Minister Tom Hedderson said the province hoped to have the bridge reopened by late Monday.

A related setback on Friday was one reason why the provincial government decided to call in the Canadian Forces, he said.

“They’re going to help us and it’s going to (make) our response a little bit more efficient and get our communities that are isolated back in the mainstream quicker.”

Provincial emergency officials are still hoping it won’t be necessary to call on the military for water and other help, Hedderson said.

“We have that additional capacity. We may not use it, but it is there.

“We’re not taking any chances here. This is about serving the people of Newfoundland and Labrador in a very, very difficult situation.”

Stack said three ships will also serve as platforms for the three Sea King helicopters with heavy-lift capabilities.

As Igor slammed into the province Tuesday, the force of local flooding took out a road and swept 80-year-old Allan Duffett into the sea off Random Island.

The RCMP confirmed that a body found Saturday buried under debris on a beach was that of Duffett.

The military mission, dubbed Operation Lama, will continue until the job is done, Stack said. LAMA is a standard command referring to military hurricane relief efforts.