Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Tuesday that the federal government is setting up a $300 million “Hurricane Fiona Recovery Fund” to help Atlantic Canadians rebuild after the deadly post-tropical storm and destructive.
Following the storm surge and high winds from what has been cited as one of the strongest storms to make landfall in Canada, a number of homes were swept out to sea. Businesses, bridges, airports and other infrastructure were also badly damaged.
“This funding will support projects to repair and rebuild critical infrastructure damaged by the storm, such as wharves, support the cleaning of fishing gear so boats and marine life can once again navigate these waters safely. and, of course, will help local businesses and communities rebuild and recover,” Trudeau said Tuesday.
The fund will provide “up to an additional $300 million over two years, starting this year,” the government says, with the money to be administered by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) in coordination with the Economic Development Agency of Canada. for the Regions of Quebec (DEC) as well as other related departments.
The federal government has yet to announce details of how this funding will be allocated, with the exception of ACOA Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor, who told reporters that while there are still details to settle, “the money is going to be rolling out very quickly.”
“We know that there are already programs in place – agricultural programs, disaster mitigation programs and cash assistance programs. This fund will be there for anyone not covered by any of the other programs,” said Trudeau, who traveled to affected areas last week. “We’re here to help people rebuild from Fiona, whether it’s federal infrastructure, community infrastructure, whether it’s you know, people who are facing challenges ranging from uninsured to structural damage in their homes.
Under the federal government’s pre-existing Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAs), up to 90% of eligible provincial expenses following a disaster are covered, such as transportation, food and lodging. emergency, and the replacement of non-insurable property.
The announcement comes as tens of thousands of Maritimers are still without power, 11 days after Fiona hit the region. In some areas, utility officials say it could be Saturday or Sunday before power is restored, citing severe damage to critical infrastructure, such as downed power lines and connection poles.
About 850 members of the Canadian Armed Forces are in Atlantic Canada to help with the cleanup, power restoration efforts and welfare checks, with Rural Economic Development Minister Gudie Hutchings telling reporters on Monday that it will still take of the “weeks” that the military will be deployed.
“As long as there is work to be done, they will be there,” said the Newfoundland and Labrador MP.
Requests for help have been extended until October 7 in the three affected provinces, according to Labor Minister and Newfoundland and Labrador MP Seamus O’Regan.
“To every person who ran an electrical cord from a house with electricity to a house without electricity, to every person who put a chair in a phone charging station. That’s what Canadians in the Atlantic. Those are the kind of people we have here,” Nova Scotia MLA Darren Fisher said during Tuesday’s announcement.
The federal government previously pledged to match all Fiona-related donations made to the Canadian Red Cross through the end of the month, and offered tax relief to those on the East Coast.
In Ottawa on Tuesday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called on the Liberals to waive Employment Insurance rules for Atlantic workers, as was done in British Columbia during the extreme flooding of the last year.
Singh sent a letter to Trudeau asking as much, saying that since many Canadians can’t work because businesses and homes are without power, the federal government should offer some form of emergency wage assistance.
“With the cost of living so high, with inflation on the rise, people are really worried about how they are going to be able to buy food. Something as simple as going to the grocery store without having working is impossible,” Singh said. said at a press conference on Parliament Hill. “So we need an immediate plan to help those workers, those people, those Atlantic Canadians, who can’t go to work and need support right now.”
With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Natalie Lombard