LETTER: Nova Scotians show generosity during difficult times

Dorian hit hard. 
Many Nova Scotians still don’t have power and the cleanup will take weeks. The storm showed us how strong Mother Nature can be. But it also showcased the strength of Nova Scotians.
As always, our first responders, hospital personnel and emergency services workers went above and beyond, leaving their own homes and families to keep others safe and informed. We also owe a debt of gratitude to the hundreds of Nova Scotia Power crews who have worked day and night to restore power to hundreds of thousands of Nova Scotians.
All of these people are everyday heroes and I am certain their work saved lives.
Nova Scotians have a reputation for being resilient. And the last week proved just that. The storm caused real hardships around the province. People went for days without power, and sometimes, water. At times, communication was difficult. That’s enough to make anyone irritable. 
But instead of dwelling on the negative, I saw people pulling together, helping their neighbours and extending a hand to strangers. 
Children manning a lemonade stand to raise money for the Red Cross. Volunteers working at emergency shelters. Hand-drawn signs offering a hot cup of coffee or a chance to charge a phone. Neighbours helping each other clean up downed trees. Gyms and recreation centres opening their doors to people in need of a hot shower.
Stone Pizza, in Dartmouth, donated fresh, hot pizza to hungry residents waiting for their power to come back on. Hellas Restaurant owner John Giannakos treated Sackville residents who didn’t have power to fish and chips. And my colleague Kim Masland assisted the North Queens Fire Association to serve hot breakfast, lunch and turkey dinner to seniors, local residents and NSP crews.
These are the gestures – large and small – that make me very proud to be a Nova Scotian. It’s that generosity of spirit that makes me so certain we, as a province, can overcome any challenge.
 
Tim Houston
Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia