The Canadian Red Cross has revealed that most of the $30.9 million received in donations to help those affected by post-tropical storm Fiona is going to households impacted in Nova Scotia and on Prince Edward Island.
In an email statement to The Canadian Press, Canadian Red Cross spokesperson Dan Bedell explained that the organization had distributed over 54,000 payments of $500 to registered individuals in Eastern Canada, for a grand total of approximately $27.3 million.
It was noted that most of the recipients were in PEI, with 26,500 households receiving $500. It was followed by NS, which saw nearly 22,000 households receive the payments. Meanwhile, 317 households in southwestern Newfoundland and 47 in New Brunswick and Quebec were also given payments.
Bedell also told The Canadian Press that almost 6,000 households in NS, PEI, and Newfoundland received a second $500 payment due to “exceptional or unique needs.”
The Canadian Red Cross spokesperson also said that the organization is not tracking where the donations are coming from, or which provinces are giving the most to charity.
Last month, the federal government revealed that it had approved requests for assistance from provincial governments where Fiona hit the hardest. The federal government also established a donation-matching program with the Canadian Red Cross, which allowed Ottawa to match donations made to the “Hurricane Fiona in Canada Appeal.”
