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
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.