Wildfire aid totals $244M so far

FORT MCMURRAY The Canadian Red Cross says three-quarters of the $323 million raised since a destructive wildfire struck Fort McMurray has been spent or committed nearly a year later.

The fire, nicknamed “The Beast,” forced 88,000 people to flee the city last May. It destroyed about 10 per cent of the community’s structures.

The Red Cross announced Monday that $244 million has been spent or committed, which means contracts or agreements have been signed for recovery projects or initiatives.

“For every single person affected by the fires, it will be a defining moment in their lives. There will always be a ‘before and after’ the wildfires of 2016,” said Conrad Sauve, the charity’s president and CEO. “It was also a defining moment for the Canadian Red Cross.”

The charity raised $189 million in donations on its own, bolstered by $104 million in matching funds from Ottawa and $30 million from the Alberta government.

Fundraising costs did not exceeded five per cent, said Sauve, who noted that only applies to the agency’s own donations, not the government-matched funds.

Of the funds spent or committed, $183 million is for individuals and families, $24 million for community groups and $28.5 million for small businesses.

Another $2.8 million has been set aside for future disaster planning and preparation. Fundraising costs were $5.7 million.

Wood Buffalo Mayor Melissa Blake said the Red Cross was a huge help to residents who fled for their lives — many with few belongings.

“When the gravity of the situation was just starting to sink in for many of us, that’s when the Red Cross funds began to be distributed,” she said.

The organization also said it is giving $10 million to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo to help prepare for future disasters and for safety and wellness workshops.

It is no longer appealing for funds for Fort McMurray.