While hundreds of thousands of Canadians on the east coast continue to face flooding, power outages and debris from wind damage all due to post-tropical storm Fiona, many Albertans with ties to the region are wanting to help.
Blowers and Grafton is an east coast inspired restaurant based in Alberta with plenty of ties to the Maritimes.
“For a lot of us from back east that have all of our family out there, when things like this take place, it really hits home, it hits your heart,” Josh Robinson, Blowers & Grafton co-owner, said.
Wanting to help those impacted by post-tropical storm Fiona, he and his partners organized a fundraiser Friday at their five Alberta locations.
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“All the alcohol net proceeds will go to fund Red Cross now that the federal government has announced it will be matching all donations to the Red Cross for the next 30 days,” Robinson said.
There are many other east coasters in Alberta hoping they too can give a helping hand.
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“I wish I was back home to help the people that I know who are struggling to clear their property of things, of downed trees, repair roofs. It’s pretty extensive,” said Andrea Ferris, who recently moved from Halifax to Edmonton.
Ferris has been keeping in touch with family and friends.
“It’s a little emotional to see what people back home are going through, it’s hard to believe storms have gotten to a point where they are ripping houses off cliffsides,” Ferris said.
Read more: Hurricane Fiona shows how climate change is fuelling severe weather events in Canada: expert
Dennis Titcombe is a former Calgarian now living near Halifax. He was home with his family when the storm hit.
“This one was different, this one did a lot of damage,” Titcombe said. “A lot of people were really fearful. My wife was terrified.”
Fortunately, there was little damage to his property.
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“We were really lucky. We only lost power for a day basically. I have friends that still don’t have power back yet,” Titcombe said.
And while cleanup is underway, many residents are still facing the aftermath.
“The gas stations ran out of gas, completely zero gas around, lineups were outrageous everywhere,” Titcombe said.
The Red Cross said it is working with provincial and federal governments to determine how best to distribute resources. It said it expects this to be a “long operation” due to the magnitude of the storm and the extent of the damage.
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