Fiona of Ottawa’s relief donations have yet to be delivered to the Red Cross

Public Safety Canada says it has yet to release funds pledged to match donations for Canadian Red Cross relief efforts after Hurricane Fiona.

An email from the federal department says work is underway with the Red Cross to determine which donations are eligible for matching funds from Ottawa.

The federal government has pledged to match donations received between September 24 and October 31 as part of the Red Cross appeal for Hurricane Fiona, as the charity stepped in to help cope with the devastating effects of the storm.

Post-tropical storm Fiona swept across the east coast on the morning of September 24, knocking down power lines and washing some homes in southwestern Newfoundland into the sea.

As of November 17, the Red Cross said it had distributed or committed approximately $27.3 million of the $31 million in donations received through its Hurricane Fiona campaign.

Spokesman Dan Bedell said Wednesday he could not say how the agency had spent the rest of the donations, adding that discussions were ongoing with provincial governments about how to spend the remaining contributions.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on December 30, 2022.