One person died and dozens were displaced in Newfoundland, Canada, after a category-2 hurricane strength, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 165 km per hour first hit Whitehead in the province of Nova Scotia on 24 September 2022.

Hurricane Fiona brought destructive storm surges with damaging winds, torrential rainfall, large waves along the Canadian coastline sweeping homes into the ocean.

The worse affected area was in Channel-Port aux Basques in Newfoundland where up to 12 buildings and homes were swept away, leading to the death of one resident and displacing over 200 more.

A keynote speaker, visiting Canada to appear and talk at a conference in Toronto later the same year, only agreed to speak at the event on the basis that the speaking fee they would have received from presenting, was donated to the emergency fund to help local residents directly affected by Hurricane Fiona.

The organisation hosting the event was only too pleased to assist and make arrangements for the donation to be made. The value of the donation will have had 200 impacts on individuals who were directly affected by the disaster.

The Canadian government makes the donation go even further as any donation made to the Canadian Red Cross Fund is matched by them to help this devasted community.

To find out more about the current emergency response in Newfoundland and Labrador following the Hurricane Fiona disaster, visit the Canadian Red Cross Fund website here.