Steelworkers are donating thousands to the Canadian Red Cross fund for those affected by this spring’s Alberta wildfires, as many still rage after nearly a month.
Three weeks ago, there were over 90 wildfires scorching across Alberta. Today, more than sixty are still burning, with 22 of them currently out of control. Just Wednesday night, the Fort Chipewyan area in northern Alberta was evacuated, displacing over 1000 people by official order. As the small town is only accessible by boat or plane, residents had to be removed via the river to either Fort McMurray or Fort McKay, both over five hours away.
The Canadian Red Cross Alberta Fires Appeal fund is a program to help those affected by recent and future wildfires in Alberta through direct donation, supplies, emergency shelter, and clean-up. It’s funded by donors, with a two-for-one match on funds coming from the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta.
“Donations to the Canadian Red Cross will be used for immediate and ongoing relief,
recovery, and resilience efforts in response to fires, and community preparedness and risk reduction for future all-hazard disaster events within Alberta,” reads the Appeal’s webpage.
The Steelworker’s Humanity Fund, a charitable arm of United Steelworkers, a wide-spread international union, is donating $35,000 to the Alberta Fires Appeal, which will become $105,000 with government matching.
“The Alberta wildfire season came quickly and early and caused a lot of hardship for many communities, including many of our Steelworkers members in the province. Through the Steelworkers Humanity Fund, we are proud to lend a hand in response to disasters that are unfortunately increasingly frequent and longer lasting,” said Marty Warren, President of the Steelworkers Humanity Fund and National Director of the United Steelworkers union.
Founded in 1985, the Steelworkers Humanity Fund is a registered charitable organization that focuses primarily on development projects and emergency aid in developing countries but also supports Canadian communities. USW members contribute to the fund through clauses negotiated into collective agreements. In some cases, employers make matching contributions to the fund.
Photo: Shutterstock