The prime minister used the backdrop of the Dartmouth waterfront to announce a $300 million dollar fund to help Atlantic Canada recover from the damage caused by Fiona.
Justin Trudeau toured some of the worst-hit areas of Nova Scotia after the storm and told reporters he talked to business owners who lost everything, homeowners who suffered major damage, and municipal officials who see the cleanup taking weeks.
He says the program will help Atlantic Canada rebuild in the wake of the storm.
“This funding will support projects to repair and rebuild storm-damaged critical infrastructure such as wharves, support the cleanup of fishing gear so that boats and marine life can once again safely navigate these waters, and of course, help local businesses and communities rebuild and recover,” Trudeau says.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in #novascotia to announce a $300 million #Fiona recovery fund:@HotCountry1035 pic.twitter.com/rZ4SJweHct
— Skye Bryden-Blom (@skyebrydenblom) October 4, 2022
It will be rolled out over two years and will be available to anyone who has not qualified for help elsewhere.
“We know that there are already programs in place—agricultural programs, disaster mitigation, and financial assistance programs,” Trudeau says. “This fund will be there for anyone who is not covered by any of the programs. We are there to help people rebuild from Fiona, whether it be federal infrastructures, whether it be community infrastructure, whether it be you know, people who are facing challenges from uninsured structural damage in their homes. We are there to help out.”
The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency will administer the fund.
The minister in charge of that agency Ginette Petitpas Taylor admits not all the criteria for eligibility have been worked out but promised the money will be distributed “very quickly.”
Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Ginette Petitpas Taylor. (CREDIT: Skye Bryden-Blom)
Trudeau says the country is keeping the region in their thoughts following Fiona’s devastation.
“Canadians from coast to coast to coast are worried about their fellow Canadians here in Atlantic Canada,” Trudeau says. “Canada will continue to step up because the community support that I’ve witnessed here on the East Coast gives me not just hope but assurance that everything will be done to build back even stronger. You’re doing what Canadians have always done, helping each other out. And the federal government will be there with you every step of the way.”
Fiona knocked out power to over 415,000 customers on September 24th when it made landfall. There are still more than 12,000 customers in the dark eleven days later. Power might not be restored to some until Sunday in the hardest hit regions, including areas of Antigonish, New Glasgow, Amherst, Truro, the Eastern Shore, and Sydney.
Trudeau will remain in Nova Scotia on Tuesday, meeting with employees at the Canadian Hurricane Centre.
He’ll also speak with Premier Tim Houston and participate in a panel discussion at the World Ocean Tech and Innovation Summit.
