Why those needing chimney repairs in Cape Breton may have a long wait

A Cape Breton company has been overwhelmed with requests for residential chimney repairs after post-tropical storm Fiona toppled at least 15 structures on the island. 

J. Peach Masonry Limited in Glace Bay is receiving roughly 40 calls per day looking for service.

Aaron O'Brien, who runs the company, said he was already busy as people looked to shore up their home heating systems ahead of the cooler weather. 

"We've been telling people for probably close to two months now that we can give them an estimate, but we're not going to get them in this year," said O'Brien. 

"Now that Fiona's hit, it's pretty overwhelming with how much work we have to do just with that alone."

'It's tough, it's pretty stressful'

O'Brien said calls for service are now being prioritized based on who will be forced to go without heat if their chimneys are not rebuilt.

But even getting all those repairs completed will be difficult.

"I'm not even sure if I'm going to be able to take on any more of those calls," he said. "I try my best to refer to some of the other guys that I know will do a good job. But right now it's tough, it's pretty stressful." 

O'Brien said finding skilled labour is a challenge especially since the work is physically demanding and masons need certification.

Another challenge is that construction in Cape Breton is booming and the industry is still adjusting to staffing and supply shortages that were brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I'm lucky I have the two guys that I do have," said O'Brien. " They show up everyday and work hard."

Duncan Williams, president of the Construction Association of Nova Scotia, said there is high demand for most major trades.

"It's probably going to be that way for the foreseeable future — over the next seven to 10 years," Williams said. 

"All of the trades are feeling a great deal of pressure. We were feeling it well before Fiona and we were certainly feeling it before the pandemic."

Both Williams and O'Brien say the cleanup from Fiona means that many projects will be further delayed. Both say it's difficult to predict when most construction projects will be back on schedule. 

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