The federal government on Monday laid out the framework for the military deployment in the Atlantic provinces affected by the storm Fiona. “The military will be visible on the ground this morning,” said Minister of National Defense Anita Anand.
About 100 soldiers are gradually being deployed in each province hard hit by the storm, namely Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. One of the Coast Guard’s newest vessels, HMCS Margaret Brooke, will also be assisting in the relief effort. “If they need more, we will send more,” said Anand.
These soldiers will clean the streets, repair damaged bridges and roads, and carry out “welfare checks”.
The waves and winds particularly ravaged the village of Port-aux-Basques, in the south-west of Newfoundland. No less than 76 homes were gutted by the elements. “It’s heartbreaking to see this. It’s 76 families who no longer have a home,” lamented the Minister for Rural Economic Development, Gudie Hutchings, during the government press conference. “It will take time for these communities to get back on their feet. »
Members of the armed forces are already monitoring the affected areas to better understand the extent of the damage. Quebec did not need to call on these soldiers, because “the crisis cells [étaient] very well organized” in the Îles-de-la-Madeleine, according to the Minister of National Revenue, Diane Lebouthillier.
Quebec and New Brunswick have already announced that a financial assistance program will help the owners of destroyed buildings. The government of Prince Edward Island should follow suit.
Asked whether the federal government would also make up for the lack of home insurance for some homeowners, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau instead indicated that Ottawa will match any public donation made to the Red Cross for the next 30 days.
To see in video