Red Cross to disperse $50 million to evacuees

Alberta offering immediate aid to wildfire victims

EDMONTON • Carol Christian and her son fled the fire in Fort McMurray with little more than a suitcase, photo albums and their cat.

As it turns out, that’s all they have left. The fire destroyed their home.

Christian wept Wednesday when she heard the Red Cross was divvying up an immediate payment of $50 million to evacuees on top of emergency funds from the Alberta government.

Each adult is to receive $600 and each child $300. The money is to be electronically transferred within two days.

“The whole country has opened up their hearts to us,” Christian said from Ontario where she is staying with her mother. “It’s just amazing. Canadians have done themselves proud in lending that hand to us in our time of need.”

It’s the second time Christian has lost everything to a house fire. Her home was destroyed 28 years ago and the prospect of starting all over again is daunting.

The immediate cash transfer will help pay for toiletries, necessities and, perhaps, even a massage — a chance to briefly forget the panic of driving through flames and seeing pictures of their home reduced to rubble.

“It has been such a harrowing time,” Christian said. “It’s just (going to) help survive day to day.”

Red Cross CEO Conrad Sauve said the charity decided to give donations directly to evacuees as everybody has unique needs and individuals can decide how best to spend the money.

“This is the most important cash transfer we have done in our history and the fastest one,” he said Wednesday at a news conference with Alberta Premier Rachel Notley.

“(It’s) a combination of both the ability to raise money very fast in Canada and also use electronic means to transfer money directly into the hands of those affected.”

Sauve said a total of $67 million has been donated to the Red Cross so far and much of that will be matched by the provincial and federal governments.

Notley noted that the Alberta government is also providing immediate monetary assistance. Debit cards are being handed out at evacuee centres and other locations across the province.

Every adult evacuee is to get $1,250 and each dependent $500.

“Our aim is to get help to the evacuees who need it the most as quickly as possible,” she said.

THE WHOLE COUNTRY HAS OPENED UP THEIR HEARTS TO US.