Red Cross Fiona effort exceeds all other disasters, with $54.2 million raised
With more than 58,000 people requiring help, the Canadian Red Cross says its relief efforts after post-tropical storm Fiona last September were its largest ever in the country.
In a report released Monday, the agency says it raised $54.2 million in donations for its efforts, including $22.3 million in matching funds from the federal government.
"The number of people registered with the Canadian Red Cross following the disaster exceeded any other event in Canada's history," the report said, adding that more than 1,000 staff and volunteers assisted with the effort.
Fiona slammed into Eastern Canada on the morning of Sept. 24, 2022. The storm knocked down trees and power lines, leaving parts of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island in the dark for more than two weeks.
In southwestern Newfoundland, the storm surge gutted homes and drowned a 73-year-old woman. About 100 homes in Port aux Basques, N.L., were destroyed, and most homeowners were denied insurance coverage for their losses.
The Red Cross launched its fundraising appeal for Fiona relief on the day the storm hit. The agency distributed money on behalf of provincial governments, and from the donations it collected. Ottawa promised to match all donations raised by the Red Cross for Fiona relief until Oct. 31, 2022, and it took at least two months from that date for the federal government to distribute the money.
The Red Cross report said the $54.2 million in donations went to on-the-ground operations as well as emergency financial assistance, though it did not give a breakdown. The agency previously said it distributed about $30 million in the form of $500 payments to registered households in Eastern Canada impacted by the storm.
Those efforts were not always seamless.
In Prince Edward Island, some residents spent hours in lineups to verify their identity before they could be paid, sometimes only to be turned away and told to return the next day. Peter Bevan-Baker, leader of Prince Edward Island's official Opposition Green Party, said he'd like to see a full review of the provincial government's response to Fiona, including its partnership and operations with the Red Cross.
"These sorts of events are going to become more frequent, they're going to become more severe," Bevan-Baker said in an interview. "Is the most effective way to (respond) to partner with non-governmental organizations like the Red Cross, or does government need to move this in-house so that we have better control, and that there is public accountability?"
He said he would like to see a more detailed breakdown from the Red Cross of how the Fiona donations were spent.
Glenn McGillivray is the managing director at the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, which is a non-profit research centre affiliated with Western University in London, Ont. He says governments need more robust disaster relief plans that can quickly get money to people in need.
"Not only can we do better, we need to do better, because these large events are starting to overlap," McGillivray said in an interview. "We kind of treat every disaster as a one-off .... We do it really ad hoc in Canada. And that's not going to cut it in a warming world."
Canada, McGillivray said, should not be relying so heavily on public donations to the Red Cross and volunteers on the ground to provide disaster response.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 7, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
DEVELOPING Israel targets air defence system in Syria, state news agency says
Israel carried out a missile strike targeting an air defence unit in southern Syria, causing material damage, state-run SANA news agency quoted a military statement as saying Friday.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.