June 6th 2016 was the 3rd year anniversary of the Lac Megantic train derailment. This tragedy killed 47 Canadians, left 32 children without a parent(s), led to the evacuation of 3,235 residents, and annihilated the downtown core of a charming Quebec town. Three years later, legal wranglings hold up the financial settlement for Lac Megantic residents.
In the wake of the Lac Megantic disaster, Canadians donated $14.5 million to Canadian Red Cross’s disaster relief efforts for Lac Megantic. With interest earned on unspent funds, this amount has increased to $14.8 million.
Canadian Red Cross released its 3-Year Update for donors outlining its work. For Year 3, Canadian Red Cross reports spending $554,500 on Lac Megantic’s recovery - 4% of donations. This leaves $2.27 million for future work or 15% of donations to be spent in the future.
Canadian Red Cross Spending Priorities in Year 3:
- $180,000 for Lac Megantic health care projects in collaboration with Le Granite Centre de Sante, including an arts program for seniors.
- $172,000 in economic recovery aid on 10 local projects.
- $90,000 in grants to four local charities – average grant size $22,500.
- $40,000 for one education project supporting 30 students.
At the current rate of Canadian Red Cross spending, it will continue operations in Lac Megantic through 2020.
Download Charity Intelligence's Lac Megantic 3-Year Update brief
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