3 · Wednesday, November 21, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com PHOTOS COURTESY OAKVILLE HYDRO restoring power in new york: Oakville Hydro crews helped to restore power in New York in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. They worked through some early winter weather to lend a hand and saw first-hand the power Sandy had unleashed on the state and its population. Oakville Hydro crew slept in trucks during nor'easter Continued from page 1 help. They were deployed to one of the hardest hit areas on the eastern seaboard. There were 1.5 million customers without power in Long Island." The Oakville Hydro crew worked 16-18 hour days and slept in gymnasiums, fire halls, recreation centres and even their own trucks as local hotels were filled with civilians whose homes had been destroyed or become unlivable. Many of the workers said they didn't know what they were getting into by agreeing to go to Long Island stating only they knew it would be an amazing experience and that it was important to help people in trouble. "It was very touching just to see what these people had been through, either flooding or tree damage... it was quite extensive," said Paul Horscroft. "The first day, we were in Long Beach and it was a real eye opener as to the force of Mother Nature and what she can do." Horscroft said when he arrived on Long Island the streets were thick with garbage and destroyed furniture of every type. Soup kitchens had been set up to help feed people and construction vehicles were removing tons of beach sand that had washed inland. "It was like a war zone," said Joe Perry. Perry said once the crew began setting up hydro poles and restoring power it was hard to stop as residents would be coming out and beg- ging them to restore power to their area. "It is hard to just say, `No,' but you've got to get rest for yourself," said Perry. "I understand why they want you to stay because they've waited so long. They've had no power for 15 days or whatever, they see a hydro truck coming and don't want to let it leave." Conditions grew worse with the arrival of a strong nor'easter, which hit Long Island the second week of November. The storm coated the area in thick wet snow while heavy winds brought down hydro lines and deprived thousands more of power. The rec centre the Oakville Hydro workers were staying in also lost power, so those in charge would not allow the workers in at the end of their shift for fear the building's heat would escape. That night the Oakville Hydro crew stayed in their trucks -- drying their soaked clothes with the heaters of their vehicles. Despite this, the crew said they were well received by the people of Long Island. Horscroft said people were honking at them and giving them the `thumbs up' as far away as Buffalo when they were en route to Long Island. At another point, two women stopped their car, got out and hugged Perry when they saw him working by the roadside. "There was one guy who said, `We waited 12 days and nobody came. Then you guys came and in one day the Canadians got all the power back on," said Peter von Euw. "That made you feel kinda good." Perry said when they restored power to an area, a party would almost break out with people cheering, thanking them and sometimes offering to make them dinner or get them coffee. The group does not know how many people they restored power to during their time in Long Island stating one repair job might restore power to just two households while another might restore power to dozens. "You didn't care about the numbers. They were all important," said Garrett St. Pierre. With power restored to much of Long Island, the Oakville crew returned home Nov. 14. At Monday's council meeting the crew received a standing ovation. "It's an outstanding job and we're very proud of you," said Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, giving each a certificate. The Oakville Hydro team also included Chris Cudmore, Joe Rizzi, Jon Castillo, Alex Rusic and Brent Le Tual. SIX MISTAKES RETIREES MAKE WITH THEIR FINANCES For investors over age 50 SEMINAR DATE Wednesday, November 28th Thursday, November 29th Lunch : 12:00pm - 12:45pm Introducing Your Local Authorized Bradford Exchange Dealer! Christmas Customer Appreciation Weekend Nov. 23, 24 & 25 Visit our Holiday Gift Shop! LOCATION Oliver & Bonacini Restaurant Oakville Place (Trafalgar & QEW) 6750 Trafalgar Road Hornby , Ontario 905-878-1105 www.vandongens.com Located at the Corner of Trafalgar Rd. and Derry Rd. MBA, CFP, R.F.P., CIM, FCSI Peter Watson Seats are FREE but Limited To reserve your seats email us at info@peterwatsoninvestments.com or call us at (905) 842-2100 Ext: 2 (24 hours) www.peterwatsoninvestments.com