Some Nova Scotians affected by storm unsure if they qualify for federal Fiona recovery fund
It's been a rollercoaster of emotions already for Nova Scotia resident Johnny Parsons, and now it's taken another twist.
After suffering life changing damage to his uninsured home during Fiona, he's not sure if he qualifies for federal assistance to fix it.
“I'm really mad. He was in my house and told us we'd be looked after,” said Parsons.
The "he" Parsons refers to is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. On Tuesday, Trudeau toured parts of Nova Scotia assessing the damage left behind by post-tropical storm Fiona. The PM also announced a $300-million Fiona recovery fund for Atlantic Canadians impacted by the storm.
“We are there to help people rebuild from Fiona, whether it be federal infrastructures, whether it be community infrastructure, whether it be people who are facing challenges from uninsured structural damage in their homes, we are there to help out,“ said Trudeau on Tuesday.
However, it seems there is some confusion on who qualifies for the funding.
In an email to CTV News Wednesday, the press secretary to ACOA Minister Ginnette Petitpas Taylor said "the new Hurricane Fiona Recovery Fund doesn’t provide assistance for structural damages to homes that is not covered by insurance."
“If I were advising a politician, I would be very, very careful about the sweeping statements that you make,” said Cape Breton University Political Science Professor Tom Urbaniak.
Urbaniak says there are a lot of lessons to be learned from this storm.
“Coordination has been wobbly. There are people who have fallen through the cracks, in terms of support and even not having their power restored, so this has revealed a lot,” said Urbaniak.
Parsons says, whether he qualifies or not, he has to find some way to repair his home.
“Sure, they called it a company home, but it's my home. I've been here 40 years,” said Parsons.
CTV News reached out the prime minister's office several times on Wednesday for clarification, which advised that the Financial Assistance Arrangements program is meant to assist uninsured homeowners.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.