The premier of Nova Scotia has issued a stinging rebuke to the telecommunications companies that serve the province, saying too many residents are still without cellphone service four days after post-tropical storm Fiona roared across Atlantic Canada.
Tim Houston issued a statement today saying it’s unacceptable that there are Nova Scotians who still can’t call 911 or connect with loved ones, and he said many questions remain as to when service will be restored.
The premier says the government had asked Bell, Eastlink, Rogers and Telus to send representatives to the province’s co-ordination centre prior to Fiona’s arrival, but he said none of the companies was initially willing to co-operate.
Houston says Bell eventually sent someone after the province complained, but the premier says the representative left the centre after two days to work virtually.
As well, the premier says he has asked federal Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne to ensure telecommunications companies provide information about service outages.
As of Wednesday morning, more than 104,000 homes and businesses in Nova Scotia were still without electricity, which represents 20 per cent of Nova Scotia Power’s customers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2022.
The Canadian Press
