New Brunswick

Warming centres remain open on third day after storm

Warming centres continue to offer refuge to residents who lost power during the ice storm this week.

Almost 55,000 customers wait for power, mostly in northeastern and eastern New Brunswick

Residents register at the Golden Hawk Recreation Centre in the Chatham area of Miramichi. (Bridget Yard/CBC)

Warming and emergency centres across New Brunswick remained open on Friday, the third day after a major ice storm hit the province earlier this week.

Many of the centres first opened Wednesday, after the storm brought trees down on power lines and left almost 130,000 NB Power customers in the dark.

Problems with icing persisted well into Wednesday in some areas, including the Acadian Peninsula and Miramichi, which were hit hardest by the storm.

By mid-afternoon Friday, the utility had reduced the number of customers without power to about 55,000.

Muncipalities responded to the loss of energy by opening fire halls and recreation centres, where people could warm up or stay the night. Many centres provided meal services, and opportunities for residents to recharge electronic devices, including those needed for medical purposes.

A few emergency centres remain open during the night, providing residents with a place to sleep and cots and blankets from the Red Cross. 

Where to find warming centres

The following is a list of warming centres. Emergency centres open throughout the night are marked with an (E).

  • Alma: Activity Centre
  • (E) Bas-Caraquet: École L'Escale des Jeunes
  • (E) ​Baie-Ste-Anne: Community Centre / Fire Hall
  • (E) Bertrand: City hall
  • Blackville: Fire Hall
  • Blackville: 137 Main St
  • (E) Bouctouche: JK Irving Center, 30 Évangéline St.
  • Burnt Church (Esgenoôpetitj) First Nation: Bingo Plex – Route 11
  • Cap-pelé: Fire station
  • Caraquet: City hall
  • (E) Caraquet: BMR Hardware, 138 West Saint-Pierre Blvd.
  • Chipman: Fire Department
  • (E) Dorchester: Veterans Centre, 4955 Main St.
  • Eel Ground First Nation: Church 
  • (E) Eel Ground First Nation: Municipal office
  • (E) Grand-Barachois: Salle Grand Barachois
  • (E) Esgenoopetitj First Nation: Burnt Church Bingo Plex
  • (E) Grand-Barachois: Salle Grand Barachois  
  • Hampton: Community Centre, 808 Main St.
  • Hillsborough: Fire Hall
  • Lagaceville: Church
  • (E) Lamèque: Résidences Lucien Saindon
  • Memramcook: arena
  • (E) Miramichi: Golden Hawk Recreation Centre, 8 Pollard Ave.
  • (E) Miramichi: Lindon Recreation Centre
  • Moncton: City Hall
  • Moncton: Resurgo Place
  • Moncton: Coliseeum
  • Moncton: Crossman Community Centre
  • (E) Neguac: Royal Canadian Legion, 916 Rue Principale
  • (E) Paquetville: Centre du savoir
  • Pointe-du-Chêne: Recreational Centre
  • Rexton: Curling Club (49 Centennial West Ave).
  • (E) Rexton: Fire Hall, 173 Main St.
  • Rivière-du-portage: Centre récréatif
  • Riverview: Town Hall
  • (E) Richibucto: Multipurpose Centre, 149 Acadie St.
  • Rogersville: Municipal Office
  • Sackville: Civic Centre
  • (E) Saint-Léolin: Club de l'age d'or, 117 des Prés St.
  • (E) Salisbury: Lions Club, 63 Peters St.
  • Salisbury: Village office
  • Salisbury: Fire Department
  • Shediac: Multipurpose Centre
  • (E) Shippagan: Centre Universitaire, 218 JD Gauthier Blvd.
  • (E) Tracadie: Centre des chevaliers de Colomb (Sheila), 3593 rue Principal 
  • (E) Tracadie: Centre des chevaliers de Colomb (Pont Landry), 5520, Route 160

CBC New Brunswick will continue to update this list.