Rural N.S. residents providing support to each other in Dorian aftermath

As the provinces inches closer to full power restoration – many rural communities have been faced with a waiting game that has lasted several days.

While tiresome, the wait hasn’t dampened the spirits of many Eastern Shore residents who are regularly checking in with their neighbours to ensure nobody has been left behind.

“People have been going door to door and sort of working out who’s there, who maybe left before the storm,” Thea Wilson-Hammond said, with the Lake Charlotte Area Heritage Society.

According to officials with the provincial Emergency Management Office, rural communities are still in need of restoration and crews are in the process of getting residents back online.

“We still have unfortunately, thousands of residents without power. Our rural areas are still not back up and running and they are not expected to for the next few days. So, we are still doing water distribution points, comfort centers in those areas,” Erica Fleck said, the division chief of emergency management.

Fleck says EMO is working with rural area councillors to ensure the needs of residents are being addressed.

READ MORE: Hurricane Dorian leaves Maritimers with cellphone service complaints

In the meantime, community run organizations like the Memory Lane Heritage Village are pooling their resources together to help feed and provide services to people in need.

“We’ve been open to take care of people who don’t have flushing toilets, who don’t have running water, who can’t plug in their phone,” Janice Foley said, with the Memory Lane Heritage Village.

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With generators on site, the village has become a makeshift community centre for people in need of a warm meal, or just some conversation.

“There’s gratitude, there’s a community atmosphere, there’s just camaraderie,” Foley said.

The Chezzetcook Fire Station is also open to people in need of water due to shortages as a result of power loss.

READ MORE: Nova Scotia Power restores service to about 85 per cent of customers

In addition, cell phone services and landlines have been down for several days.

“We have some neighbours that are shut in with wheelchairs and stuff. So, we’ve been running around gathering up generators and trying to look after them,” Carl Faulkner said, a Lake Charlotte resident.