The Government of Canada is committed to supporting Albertans impacted by the destructive 2024 wildfires as they recover and rebuild.
Today, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, was at the Canadian Red Cross' annual Ready Conference to announce $12.6 million in matching funds from the Government of Canada to the Canadian Red Cross's 2024 Alberta Wildfires Appeal. The funds announced today have contributed to a total of $40.4 million in support of people impacted by the wildfires in Jasper.
On July 28, 2024, the Government of Canada and Government of Alberta announced a donation-matching initiative with the Canadian Red Cross to support wildfire disaster relief and recovery efforts in Alberta, including in Jasper. Both the federal and provincial governments matched all donations to the Canadian Red Cross 2024 Alberta Wildfires Appeal for 30 days, retroactive to when it first opened on July 25, 2024. Every $1 donated became $3 to support the families and individuals most impacted by the wildfires.
The Canadian Red Cross' 2024 Alberta Wildfires Appeal has supported:
- Emergency relief for individuals and families including financial assistance, accommodations support, emergency supplies and service referrals;
- Recovery assistance for individuals and families with unmet needs, supporting their return to community, support to navigate insurance and community resources, providing referrals to access mental health services, and providing guidance to guide people as they take steps toward their recovery journey;
- Small businesses and not-for-profits with unexpected costs which may include the costs of restarting operations, such as inventory storage and clean-up;
- Community groups to meet increased service demands, address social and psychosocial needs, and enhance community resilience, ultimately supporting long-term recovery; and
- Disaster risk reduction and resilience to help communities to reduce vulnerabilities, adapt to evolving risks, and build resilience against future disasters.
The Government of Canada is committed to doing everything it can to support all those affected by the 2024 Alberta wildfires, and is committed to supporting Canadians whose lives are impacted when disasters strike, helping communities recover, and, ultimately, increasing our resiliency.
