Bonavista Peninsula comes together after Igor

Newfoundland's Bonavista Peninsula is still reeling after being belted by Hurricane Igor, but its communities are coming together whatever way they can.

The highway that snakes up the peninsula opened to light traffic Saturday for the first time since washouts cut off dozens of communities, but travel is still tough.

Boulders litter the pavement along the road from Clarenville to Trinity, and dozens of trees have been flattened. Looking on, Victoria Lethbridge is shocked.

She stayed in Clarenville during the storm, but Lethbridge wanted to see her boyfriend who hunkered down with his family in Trinity throughout Igor's wrath. It was a long trip back for Lethbridge.

"We had to take a detour, because there was a huge hole," said Lethbridge.

"Then we got so far as Summerville and we got the [ATVs] there."

ATVs have become the easiest mode of transportation along the peninsula. Volunteer firefighters have used them to travel along an old rail bed for days, shuttling food, gas and people.

Lethbridge, and CBC reporter Carolyn Ray, managed to catch a ride with a convoy of ATVs heading north toward Bonavista.

Driver Brian Collins has made the difficult trek, which is still full of washouts and detours, a few times now to lend a hand where he can.

"You just make do. In a time of crisis, everybody helps everybody else," Collins said.

Reuniting a delighted Lethbridge with her boyfriend, who is safe, was well worth the drive, he said.

Hope to rebuild on

In Princeton, a community 50 kilometres north of Clarenville, Hurricane Igor tore apart the only store and post office. The storm left only the counter standing, and the refrigerator and freezers now lie on the lawn.

As owner Floyd Prince watched flood water race through his 30-year-old business, he knew he would have to start over.

After putting out a call, dozens of people from the community came to work on the store.

"I looked around a half hour later, and there were 50 of them. They said 'what can we do?'" said a choked-up Prince.

"They pitched right in, and they're working away."

The store was soon gutted, and now sits ready for Prince to build it back up.

A trickle of information

Like many people along the peninsula, Marsha Goodyear has been searching everywhere for information since the storm hit.

"It seemed like we were hearing about St. John's and the Burin, but we're cut off," Goodyear said. "I haven't heard any plans."

Hurricane Igor cut off Goodyear's community of Little Catalina, a 14-kilometre drive south of Bonavista, when flood water destroyed both bridges into the community of about 500 people.

Information and aid are beginning to trickle into the area, and the news that the Canadian Forces are on the way has eased some fear, but there are still worries about getting enough clean water to drink and enough fuel to travel.

"We don't know how we're going to get supplies," Goodyear said, adding the water in Little Catalina isn't fit to drink.

"People are adapting, but when the gas runs out, the gas runs out . I don't know if there are plans to get us extra supplies."

Small improvements

The community of Bonavista is faring better. Mayor Betty Fitzgerald said the grocery store is being restocked, and relief is on the way. Still, she's concerned about many neighbouring communities like Little Catalina.

"My heart goes out to those that still don't know what's happening," said Fitzgerald, adding she believed a ship was on the way that would stop along the coast to deliver water and food.

Fitzgerald said a local emergency team is working hard to solve problems. The crew, led by RCMP Cpl. Roy Chaulk, has been bringing supplies to small coastal outports by boat.

"They're going places where people are afraid to go," Fitzgerald said.

"We're so thankful."