Fiona-related closures and cancellations

Officials are urging Nova Scotians to be prepared for dangerous weather conditions

CITYnews halifax \ Meghan Groff

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You’ll be able to listen to live, local coverage of the storm starting at 7 a.m. Saturday on CityNews 95.7.

Fiona is on her way. Officials are urging Nova Scotians to be prepared for dangerous weather conditions, including heavy rain, severe winds and flooding in coastal and low-lying areas.

There are already several closures and cancellations ahead of the weekend.

EDUCATION

The Saint Mary’s University campus will close at 7 p.m. on Friday. Friday evening and Saturday classes are cancelled. Convocation ceremonies on Friday evening and Saturday are postponed and on campus athletic events Saturday are cancelled.

EVENTS 

The QMJHL has postponed Friday’s Halifax Mooseheads home opener. Saturday’s game is Charlottetown will also be rescheduled.

Saturday’s Halifax Wanderers match against Pacific FC has been pushed back to Sunday at 3 p.m.

Sarah Harmer’s shows at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium have been pushed back. Friday’s show will go Sunday and Saturday’s show will go Monday.

Halifax Oyster Festival’s September 23 and 24 dates are postponed.

Hopscotch Arts Festival events that had been scheduled to take place at Grand Oasis will be moved to the Lighthouse Arts Centre (1800 Argyle Street, Halifax), and are all 19+ only.

Garrison Brewing and The BG’s Oktoberfest will now start Sunday.

HRM had planned a tree giveaway in Cherry Brook this weekend. This will now take place on Saturday, October 8.

As mentioned above, SMU’s convocation ceremonies on Friday evening and Saturday are postponed and on campus athletic events Saturday are cancelled.

OTHER RECREATION

All provincial campgrounds, beaches and day-use parks, along with the Shubenacadie Wildlife Park, will shut down at noon on Friday.

All provincial trails will close at noon Friday to both hikers and off-road vehicles. They’ll stay that way until they have been assessed for public safety after the storm.

Both Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site and Kejimkujik Seaside will also be closing at noon on Friday, along with all camping accommodations in Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

In addition, Parks Canada says Halifax Citadel, Georges Island, Grand-Pré, Fort Anne, Port-Royal and Sable Island will all be closed for the storm.

The public walkway at PSA Atlantic Hub (pathway to the south end container terminal at Point Pleasant Park) will be closing Friday at noon.

All ball diamonds, sport fields and all-weather fields will be closed starting Friday until at least end of the day on Sunday.

All recreation centers will be closed on Saturday.

Haligonians strongly advised to avoid visiting municipal parks until the storm has passed and potential damage, including downed trees, has been addressed, which may take several days.

 The Halifax Public Gardens will close Friday at its regular time and will remain closed over the weekend.

The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 will close at 4 p.m. Friday and stay closed Saturday.

BUSINESSES

The Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market will be closed on Saturday.

Some businesses may close early on Friday. It’s best to call ahead or check social media/websites before heading out.

TRANSPORTATION

All Halifax Transit bus, ferry and Access-A-Bus trips for Friday are expected to continue as scheduled.

The planned closure of the Macdonald Bridge this weekend is cancelled.

Fiona is likely to impact travel this weekend with the potential for flooding and washed out roads in some areas.

If you’ve got a flight scheduled, check with your airline for delays, cancellations and schedule changes before leaving for the airport.

WestJet will suspend Halifax operations Friday evening to Sunday morning. Impacted passengers have been notified.

Air Canada expects its service into and out of Halifax to be impacted by Fiona. Those affected can change their flight free of charge.

SERVICES

Curbside collection of solid waste is a go on Friday.

The Mobile Household Special Waste event planned for Saturday in Eastern Passage has been postponed until Saturday, October 29.

The Otter Lake Waste Management Facility and the Household Special Waste Depot located at 20 Horseshoe Lake Drive, as well as the Musquodoboit and Sheet Harbour refuse depots will be closed on Saturday.