Dorian doesn't bring out the best in everyone

It’s said that tough times like the aftermath of major storms brings out the best in people.

This past weekend, though, after the winds of hurricane Dorian had calmed, it became clear that not everyone across the province was feeling charitable.

At the Walden Fire Department in Lunenburg County, chief Melanie Langille said there was disbelief and anger after someone stole the department’s emergency generator Sunday.

The all-black, 10,000-watt (8,000-watt continuous run) Wallenstein generator was what allowed the department to act as a comfort station after the storm. It let people charge their phones and laptops to stay in touch with family. It also let the department keep its back-up paging system charged.

But Sunday afternoon, between 1:20 p.m. and 1:45 p.m, department members went to check on a community member at the request of a neighbour.

“They were checking to see if they were OK, and if they needed our small generator brought up to help put their freezer on so they don’t lose their food,” she said.

After they left, someone drove up, unplugged the generator and made off with it.

“I figure they had to be sitting and watching. They could have been behind the hall and we didn’t notice.”

Langille said the generator was running when it was taken.

She said the members returned to hall and found the lights off, and went outside to discover the generator was gone.

“The cord was laying on the ground. They didn’t unplug it from the wall, they didn’t take the cord, they just took the generator and ran.”

The machine is big and heavy, and Langille said it would take two people to load it onto a truck.

“It’s disheartening. There was quite a gathering at the fire hall in a hurry when this happened,” she said. “I was upset and in disbelief.”

It was purchased more than 15 years ago with the help of a provincial grant so the department could become a comfort station during prolonged power outages. It was powerful enough to run heat pumps in the winter and the hot water tank along with chargers for devices.

The department’s coverage area is small with only about 80 residents as well as seasonal cottages. But as a comfort centre they are open to anyone who needs to come in from anywhere.

“We’ve done this for years and never had any problems,” Langille said.

With the small district comes limited funding. The department’s small budget has to cover equipment, fuel and operating and maintenance costs.

The department — which has 18 active members — just had a fundraiser on Labour Day weekend to help with expenses.

“Our garden party is what carries us through and helps us get new equipment every year. I wasn’t looking to go and shell out of that (raised money), especially when we just raffled off an 8,000 watt generator.”

In the Truro area, a Nova Scotia Power lineman reported that someone stole chainsaws and copper wire from a truck while the crew was resting.

And in Kings County, where the power outage kept some gas stations closed and others ran out of fuel, a shopper at the New Minas Superstore location reported that she found the gas tank cover off her car and several others open with the caps hanging out as if someone was trying to syphon off fuel.

Reports of aggressive driving and short tempers in the lineups at gas stations and coffee shops around the province was also widespread.

RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Jennifer Clarke said there were reports of thefts and attempted thefts and vandalism of a similar nature to these incidents in several areas of the province, and expected more would come in.

“So many people are proud of the community spirit that comes from events like (Dorian),” she said. “I’m sure they will be disgusted to hear about this.”