People all across South Bayview and Canada are opening up their hearts and wallets to help 80,000 of their countrymen and women — burned out residents of Fort McMurray. Here at home people are calling the Red Cross and giving at the Loblaws checkout (above) as well as other stores. Loblaws says it has collected $120,000 from customers so far and that figure is old. The food store itsef has donated $300,000 and the chartered banks are giving $100,000 each. Walmart has willingly forked over $500,000. CTV reports that the Peter and Melanie Munk foundation has offered a million dollars.The Red Cross says all of this generosity so far adds up to $30 million, a figure that will be matched by federal and provincial governments in an amount of $90 million. And this is in the first awareness of the size of the destruction in and around Fort McMurray. The Alberta government says it will start handing out $1,250 per adult evacuee and $500 per dependent, in order to help them deal with what Premier Rachel Notley called “the immediate challenges: food and shelter.” The program is expected to cost about $100 million. But Canadians are warned to beware of the ruthless criminals who will try to collect money without credentials and with no intention of sending it forward to help others.
FORT MCMURRAY MAYOR ELOQUENT IN THANKS
The mayor of the Regional City of Wood Buffalo, which includes Fort McMurray, has been eloquent in her thanks to Canadians for their help.
