Canada Report: $300-million recovery package established to address devastation from Fiona

Jim Fox
·4 min read
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The Canadian government has established a $300-million recovery package for Atlantic Canada in the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Fiona.

The storm roared into eastern Canada unlike any other in history as a post-tropical storm.

The money, along with donations from the provincial governments, is to help people struggling to recover.

Numerous houses were washed away into the Atlantic Ocean along with two people and a third who died in the storm that slammed into Atlantic Canada provinces – Nova Scotia/Cape Breton, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland/Labrador.

The Canadian Red Cross has so far raised $16 million in donations for the disaster relief in Atlantic Canada – that is being matched by the Canadian government until Oct. 23.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the government’s recovery fund would be distributed over two years to help people immediately affected by the storm and support long-term rebuilding.

“We are there to help out,” he said, noting the fund is for those not covered by any other programs or insurance.

“This will provide support for those who are facing challenges from uninsured structural damage in their homes, he said.

Canada sees resurgence of COVID-19

There are concerns that the pandemic is not over in Canada as the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 has reached a two-month high in Ontario.

The government health agency said indicators suggest a fall resurgence of the virus in Canada’s largest province.

The Ontario Ministry of Health reports here were 1,465 people testing positive for the virus in hospitals, up from 1,265 the a week ago and 1,141 on Sept. 22.

This is the highest number since Aug. 4 and approaches a summer peak in late July when 1,492 people were getting hospital care.

Health Canada on Friday approved Pfizer’s latest booster, a bivalent COVID vaccine, that targets the virus strains most common in the country.

News in brief

  • In an effort toward “making life more affordable,” the Canadian government voted unanimously to double the Goods and Services Tax credit for six months. “This is aimed at providing targeted tax relief to low and modest income Canadians,” said Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. It will help with inflationary pressures and those eligible will receive a lump-sum payment equivalent to the rebates sent in October and January.

  • As expected, Premier François Legault’s Coalition Avenir Quebec won a commanding majority being re-elected in the provincial vote. The party won 90 of the 125 seats in the National Assembly, providing a strong mandate for the next four years. Legault said there will be a focus on helping Quebecers cope with inflation, growing a green economy and improving the education system and health-care.

Facts and figures

  • The Canadian dollar is lower at 73 U.S. cents while the U.S. dollar returns $1.37 in Canadian funds, before exchange fees.

  • The Bank of Canada’s key interest rate is steady at 3.5 percent while the prime lending rate at commercial banks is 5.45 percent.

  • Canadian stock markets are lower, with the Toronto index at 18,740 points while the TSX Venture index is 611 points.

  • The average price for gas in Canada is higher at $1.75 a liter or $6.65 for a U.S. gallon in Canadian funds.

  • Gas prices jumped by 10 cents a liter on Thursday just before the start of the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

  • Lotto Max: (Oct.4) 10, 18, 21, 22, 37, 40 and 46; bonus 25. (Sept. 30) 9, 14, 36, 37, 38, 40 and 48; bonus 26.

  • Lotto 6/49: (Oct.5) 3, 6, 10, 19, 28 and 31; bonus 2) (Sept. 28) 7, 10, 11, 24, 32 and 40; bonus 25.

Regional brief

  • Alberta’s United Conservative Party has named Danielle Smith, former leader of the defunct Wildrose Party, to lead the party as it gains support for the next provincial election. Smith, 51, of High River will become the western province’s next premier once she wins a seat in the legislature. She was named leader of the Wildrose Party of Alberta in 2009 and to the provincial government in 2012.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: $300-million recovery package established to address Fiona's devastation