Snack attack
Monday, after the storm had cleared, Spring Garden Road was bustling with pedestrians out to catch a glimpse of the storm damage. Many of them also decided to stop for a post-Juan beverage. By Monday night, the power had come back on the south side of the street but most of the businesses on the north side were still in the dark. Nonetheless, Gatsby’s was serving by candlelight and plenty of customers crowded around the patio tables to down some of the last cold beer in the city. Across the street, Mexicali Rosa’s was swarming with people. Owner Dave Turk says the restaurant was crammed shortly after the power was restored at 3pm on Monday. Turk says the only drawback was that he was severely short-staffed. “We’ve been flat-out for two days,” he said early Wednesday afternoon, by which time business was returning to normal.
I’d kill for a cup of coffee
Coffee shops were some of the most happening places directly after the storm. Tim Hortons on Cobequid Road in Sackville was the first Tim’s open on Monday. “People were waiting in the pouring rain to get a cup of coffee,” said manager Jacqueline Hingston. Later that afternoon, the Tim Hortons at the Superstore Mall on Sackville Drive opened up, and from 2pm to 10pm, when it closed, there was a steady line of about 200 customers outside the doors, said one employee. Likewise, the Daily Grind, which was open for business Tuesday morning, was so busy staff at the cafe in the back of the store barely had time to talk while they looked after the crowd. “As soon as we cracked the doors this morning, we had a line-up onto the sidewalk,” said one employee. And Perks on Lower Water Street was “too busy,” said manager Mark Cullen. Cullen says he kept the grill on all day, to keep up with the crowds looking for some warm chow.
Chain, chain, chainsaw
The Home Depot in Dartmouth was a SuperCity hotspot after the storm. Brian Drane, assistant manager sounded exasperated over the phone. “We’re doing what we can to help as many people as possible,” he said, “but we can’t help everybody.” Drane says the big items at Home Depot post storm were generators, chainsaws and all types of building materials.
There’s a hole in Murphy’s, dear Liza
Murphy’s on the Water sits on the wharf directly over the sea, and despite the fact the tall ship Silva rammed into it, the restaurant didn’t do all that poorly. “When the surge came up,” said owner Richard Murphy, “the line snapped. The boat let go and the bow poked a hole in the side of the restaurant.” Murphy says the hole is only a couple of feet wide. Waves rolled into the restaurant during the storm but Murphy says there is no serious water damage and estimated that repairs would only take a couple of days.
On the rocks
Things did not go so swimmingly on board the Mar II, the tour ship also owned by Murphy. He says the ship was docked in Dartmouth, but, like the Silva, the lines snapped as the storm surges blasted away at the wharf. “There was a crew on board,” says Murphy. “They had the engines going full blast trying to fight the swells.” The crew lost the battle. “Now we’re just trying to find a way to get it off the rocks.” The Mar II usually gives harbour tours until the middle of October. Murphy says the loss of revenue from having to dock the Mar II is nothing compared with the cost of repairing the ship
Crystal in the clear
Uncannily, Nova Scotia Crystal, which sits just behind Murphy’s on the Water, was untouched. Its delicate wares sat in their display window serenely reflecting the post-storm sunlight. “Not a thing was broken,” said employee Shelly Snow.
Salt in the wound
Closer to the Casino, the damage was more severe. Salty’s looked seriously hit by the storm. By Tuesday afternoon, the seaward section of the restaurant had been boarded up but Salty’s owner, Brendan Morrisey, was unavailable for comment. A spokesperson for Armour Properties said that the Historic Properties had taken a lot of damage. Security guards had blocked off entrances to the Historic Properties while work crews swept up debris.
So much for greener pastures
Juan punched a hole in the roof of the historic Green Lantern Building on Barrington Street and let in a column of rain water that soaked many of the businesses in the building. “The roof peeled off and the wood under it gave way so water leaked onto furnishings and electronic equipment,” said Barry Boyce, owner of Victory Communications. Boyce says Vital Health Yoga, on the top floor of the building was directly exposed to the storm. “There’s a hole in the roof about six feet in diameter,” he said. “Water was pouring on the floor.” Treka Designs hair salon was so badly hit that it has relocated from the Green Lantern to 2120 Maynard Street until they can get cleaned up. (To rebook an appointment call: 423-5400.) The water seeped down from the top floor and brought a little bad karma to the Shambhala Sun’s circulation office. Melvin McLeod, Shambhala’s editor said power was back by Tuesday morning and personnel on the second floor circulation office had squeezed into the third floor editorial offices. McLeod said he thought the publication would probably run a week late. Pogue Fado, on the ground level of the building is now ogue Fado—Juan carried off the pub sign’s “P.” Jennifer Myatt, Pogue’s manager, said the biggest problem was water damage to the ceiling tiles. “I came in at 10:30am and it was raining inside the bar,” said Myatt on Tuesday morning. “There were buckets everywhere.” By Tuesday afternoon, Pogue staff had torn out many of the ceiling tiles and had piled large pads of yellow insulation on the patio. “We’re letting everything dry out,” said Myatt. “And the owners are getting new tiles for the ceiling.” Tribeca, on Granville Street at the rear of the building got off relatively easy. “The rest of the building had serious damage,” said Tribeca’s owner Paul Boudreau. “I’m not usually lucky, but we only had water damage around the windows.” By Wednesday morning roofers were busy hammering away atop the Green Lantern.
The Shoe must go on
The Shoe Shop popped its top. Victor Syperek, owner of the Economy Shoe Shop on Argyle Street says the storm blew in a window at the rear of the restaurant and tore off the roof of the atrium, leaving a 10 by 20-foot hole now covered by a large tarp. Syperek says the roof of the building is structurally sound but it will have to be resurfaced. Despite the unplanned skylight, Syperek says the Shoe Shop opened for dinner (with a skeleton crew serving a reduced menu) Monday evening. Syperek also owns the Marquee Club and Hell’s Kitchen on Gottingen Street. Wednesday morning, the power still hadn’t been restored at the Marquee and Syperek said he was worried it wouldn’t be on by nightfall. “Wednesday nights are big nights,” he said. “It could be a tremendous loss of revenue.”
Those who live in glass houses
The Centennial Building on Hollis Street is home to some big players, including ExxonMobil Canada, as well as the provincial caucus offices of the Tory, Liberal and NDP parties. Workers and police strung up yellow tape around the building Tuesday afternoon and were diverting curious pedestrians. On the upper floors of the 12-storey building, workers leaned out of the windows, carefully pulling out panes of glass. Occasionally, a shard splintered and fell to the ground, creating a shower of glass. One of the workers said over 60 windows were being replaced. A commissionaire for the Centennial Building said flying gravel from the roof of a neighbouring building had caused much of the damage. Despite the falling glass, a spokesperson for ExxonMobil said the oil giant was open for business Tuesday morning.
Seawater wash
Bishop’s Landing withstood a pretty serious beating and emerged relatively unscathed. Juan kicked up swells that lifted the seaside boardwalk, washed away topsoil and tore apart sections of cobblestone paths, but none of the businesses seemed all that seriously damaged. Scoops and Shakes, an ice cream shop a few metres from the water’s edge, was missing its cobblestone patio. Owner Alex Walling rigged a couple of two-by-six planks from the boardwalk to his doorway and was selling cones early Tuesday afternoon. “It’s not like they were asking me to cook them up a steak or a lobster,” he said. Boris Mirtchev, owner of the Hamachi Steak House said he had to clear Hamachi’s patio, which was awash with loose cobblestones (and looked uncannily like a giant game of Scrabble). Mirtchev says there was minor flooding in the dining room, but no substantial damage. Similarly, Bish was spared any damage, other than having its seaward windows smeared with strands of seaweed, and was open for dinner Tuesday evening.
Loot bags
Halifax Regional Police said there were no reports of looting after the storm. However, an employee at Pat’s Grocery on Cornwallis Street said the store was broken into as Juan raged through Halifax, but wouldn’t say if anything had been taken.
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This article appears in Oct 2-9, 2003.