The Alberta government will give the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo an advance of $87.5 million to help it recover from the massive wildfire dubbed “The Beast.”
The May fires, which forced roughly 80,000 to flee and destroyed thousands of buildings, caused an estimated $3.58 billion in damages, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. In fact, the wildfires were deemed the most expensive disaster in the country’s history for insurance providers.
READ MORE: Fort McMurray wildfire: $3.6B in damage, says Insurance Bureau of Canada
The province’s initial advance of Disaster Recovery Program funding is meant to help with uninsurable costs like emergency response, evacuation, cleanup of damaged public space and repairs to public infrastructure.
The municipality said its response costs were about $175 million. The advance from the province will cover about half of that.
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“Our government promised to stand with the people of Fort McMurray in the months and years after this devastating fire, to support the region as it recovers and rebuilds,” Minister of Municipal Affairs Danielle Larivee said. “This advance on disaster recovery funds is part of that promise and will ensure the municipality can keep moving forward to clean up and rebuild, without having to carry a heavy financial burden.”
One day earlier, the province said over 6,000 households have been helped by $5.9 million in emergency benefits following the Fort McMurray wildfires. A local state of emergency remains in effect in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB).
Financial relief for evacuees who left the province has topped $3.7 million and over 48,000 debit cards have been handed out in Alberta totalling $96 million, according to an update released Wednesday.
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“We thank the Alberta government for its commitment to our region as we recover together as a community,” Wood Buffalo Mayor Melissa Blake said. “The Alberta government has been with us every step of the way during what is the biggest challenge in our region’s history and we look forward to continued support that is much needed for our residents.”
READ MORE: Fort McMurray wildfire update: Housing benefit deadline, free camping remains
For residents who need access to donations, the province said there are still 10 pickup points. Visit the Alberta Wildfire Donations Centre page for more information.
The province said more than 73,000 Fort McMurray residents have visited information centres since re-entry started June 1.
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