Red Cross to help pay for Fort McMurray residents to return home

The Red Cross announced Monday it will give more money to displaced Fort McMurray residents once they have returned to the city, and will also help pay transportation costs for those who need it.

"We know this will be a challenging time for those who've been evacuated, as the uncertain condition of their homes and communities will become much more real to them," said Jenn McManus, Alberta vice-president with the Canadian Red Cross.

"We want evacuees to know that you are not alone."

• Fort McMurray campaign largest in Canadian Red Cross history

More than $112 million in donations has been collected by the Red Cross from across the country, with Tuesday the last day for those donations to be matched by the federal and provincial governments.

McManus announced another $40 million has been set aside to support evacuees as they return home, under a phased re-entry plan scheduled to start Wednesday.

The money will broken down into two chunks, with some going for transportation costs, and some for lump sum payments to residents.

"This (transportation subsidy) is for evacuees staying inside or outside the province who don't have any financial assistance available through their employer, their work or their insurance, to travel back home", she said.

Transportation will include charter buses from Edmonton, Calgary and Lac la Biche, as well as flights for those outside of Alberta to those departure points, she said.

The first member of a household will get $300, with $50 for every subsequent family member.

A family of four with two adults and two children, for example, will get a total of $450 once they've safely returned to their community.

"This assistance is intended to ease the stress of re-entering your community and to help you with the purchase of urgent household supplies and goods, groceries and personal items," McManus said.

The Red Cross has already transferred $50 million electronically to evacuees to help with emergency items. Some of the 90,000 people who fled the wildfire left with little more than the clothes on their backs.

Evacuees will need to validate their information with the Red Cross once they've returned home in order to get this latest financial assistance.

The Red Cross will contact evacuees over the next week by email, text or telephone, with that contact timed with their place on the re-entry schedule.

People staying outside the province, who might not be ready to return, will still be eligible for the lump sum payments.

"Returning home will not be the end of your journey and rest assured, this will not be the end of our support to you," McManus said.