Red Cross says $323M raised for Fort McMurray; three-quarters spent or committed
FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. — The Canadian Red Cross says three-quarters of the $323 million raised since a destructive wildfire struck Fort McMurray last spring has been spent or committed nearly a year after the disaster.
The fire, nicknamed “the beast” because it was so fierce and unpredictable, forced 88,000 people to flee the northeastern Alberta 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.