Red Cross has distributed $27 million in Fiona donations, most to Nova Scotia, P.E.I.

The Canadian Red Cross has distributed most of the millions raised to help those affected by post-tropical storm Fiona, and almost all of the money has gone to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Donations are not tracked by the donor’s province, the agency said, and all money collected for Fiona relief is pooled to help people across Eastern Canada. “We cannot … specify that particular donations or percentages will be restricted for use in any one province or community,” Red Cross spokesman Dan Bedell said in a recent email.

By the Red Cross numbers, hard-hit southwestern Newfoundland accounted for just a fraction of the donations distributed for Fiona relief. Brian Button, the mayor of Port aux Basques, N.L., said many in his region won’t donate to the agency for exactly that reason _ they want their money to go back to those who need it most in Newfoundland.

The town has opened a local fund with the Newfoundland and Labrador Credit Union, where people can make contributions that will be earmarked for southwestern Newfoundland residents.

“It’s going to be used directly just for members of our communities, not just Port aux Basques, but the surrounding area,” Button said. “That’s why a lot of people … they want it to go directly to the people here.”

The town council will set up a steering committee to determine how the money will be distributed, he said. He could not provide an estimate of how much cash had been raised so far.

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Update on Fiona Aftermath in Port aux Basques, NL

As of Thursday, the Red Cross had collected $30.9 million through its Hurricane Fiona in Canada Appeal campaign, Bedell said. The agency had distributed more than 54,000 payments of $500 to registered households across Eastern Canada, for a total of about $27.3 million, he added.

The bulk of the recipients were in P.E.I, with 26,500 households, and Nova Scotia, where nearly 22,000 households received cash. Fiona caused widespread power outages in both provinces when it tore through the region on the morning of Sept. 24. Many in P.E.I. and in Nova Scotia were without power for weeks.

Red Cross payments of $500 also went to 317 households in southwestern Newfoundland, where about 100 homes were destroyed by storm surge and waves reaching up to 16 metres high.

Bedell said nearly 6,000 households in Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Newfoundland received a second $500 payment because of “exceptional or unique needs,” though he did not have a breakdown of recipients by province.

Meanwhile, the Red Cross says it is still working with governments in all affected provinces to determine how to best spend the approximately $3.6 million in donations that have not yet been distributed.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2022.

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