Nova Scotia businesses report minimal impact from Lee

Businesses in Nova Scotia say the impact of post-tropical storm Lee in Nova Scotia could have been far worse.

At Coastal Grove Farm in Upper Port La Tour, co-owner Cynthia Bazinet said there was some damage to crops, but the impact of salt water from the ocean some 150 metres away remains to be seen.

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Bazinet said crops in the field like zucchini had quite a bit of damage because of the high winds. However, she said most of their greenhouse crops fared well.

She said they had to remove the plastic from one tomato greenhouse ahead of the storm to prevent it from being ripped off by the wind. That allowed some damage to the crop.

According to Bazinet, the farm is protected by a two-metre stone berm that has built up over centuries.

Bazinet didn't think the berm could be breached but she said the water came over "like it was nothing."

Valerie Tailleur, the owner of Seaport Gifts and Treasures in Port Medway, said there was some flooding at the back of the building, but no damage.

Power loss frustrating

Tailleur said the loss of power has been her main frustration.

She said as of noon Sunday she had been without power for 24 hours and Nova Scotia Power has not given her an estimated time for it to be restored.

She said she was without power for five or six days during post-tropical storm Dorian.

Tailleur said it takes a longer time to get services and have power restored because she lives in a rural community.

"We're in a swath of over 3,000 people that have been without power, and it seems to always be us," she said.

She said her business is a community hub where people go to grab a cup of coffee and something to eat. She said she is losing money because she is unable to offer her normal service.

Scott Myers, owner of Jo-Ann's Deli, Market and Bake Shop in Mahone Bay, said there was no significant damage to the property from the storm.

He said the business lost some ice cream and prepared foods as a result of the power outage, but employees helped out with generators and he was able to save most of the food.

In Halifax, Hakan Uluer, owner of the Bertossi Group of restaurants, said his employees tried to prepare for the storm by moving furniture and other potentially hazardous objects inside.

He said his staff were removing storm debris from in front of the restaurants since early Sunday morning.

The Bicycle Thief restaurant on the waterfront was open for lunch service on Sunday as usual, he said.

Jeff Farwell of J. Farwell Sailing in Halifax said when he realized the size of the storm he moved two of his three sailboats to the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron and the other one to King's Wharf.

Farwell, who has been in the sailing business for 25 years, said he had been through Hurricane Juan in 2003 and learned lessons from every storm.

He said by Sunday morning it was safe to start operations again and was waiting for some gangways to come in on Monday.

R E Robicheau general store in Westport, near where the storm made landfall, is only a few metres from the shoreline.

Clark Lent, the new owner of the store, said community members chipped in to help him prepare for the storm and were constantly checking in to show their support..

He said he made a pot of chili to serve anyone who dropped in during the storm.

"It didn't last very long," he said. "People were coming in the morning and they were smelling cooking and wondering when is it gonna be done. And so it wasn't long after it was done that it disappeared."

Lent said the store lost power for about eight hours but he was able to stay open with the help of a generator.

Orchards fare well

In the Annapolis Valley, Jim Stirling of Stirling Fruit Farms in Greenwich said his orchards fared well.

"Pretty good, not as bad as what we were expecting," Stirling said.

"We had some drops on the trees. We don't know how much bruising there is in the fruit still on the trees," Stirling said.

He said bruised apples on the trees can be picked and used for cider, but apples that drop to the ground are "practically useless."

When asked if he was worried Saturday afternoon as Lee blew through the region, Stirling said: "I just took a nap. There's nothing you can do about it. So you just wait and see what happens."