Matching Fiona relief donations from Ottawa not yet delivered to Red Cross

Public Safety Canada says it hasn’t yet delivered its promised funds to match donations for the Canadian Red Cross’s hurricane Fiona relief efforts.

An email from the federal department says work is ongoing with the Red Cross to determine which donations are eligible for matching funds from Ottawa.

The federal government pledged to match donations received between Sept. 24 and Oct. 31 through the Red Cross hurricane Fiona appeal, as the charity stepped in to help with the devastating impacts of the storm.

Post-tropical storm Fiona tore through the East Coast on the morning of Sept. 24, knocking down power lines and washing some homes in southwestern Newfoundland into the sea.

As of Nov. 17, the Red Cross said it had distributed or committed about $27.3 million of the $31 million in donations it received through its hurricane Fiona campaign.

Spokesman Dan Bedell said Wednesday he could not say how the agency spent the remainder of the donations, adding that discussions were ongoing with provincial governments about how to spend any remaining contributions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 30, 2022.