Close to $1 million donated through the Shuswap Community Foundation's Emergency Response Fund has gone towards rebuilding efforts in the North Shuswap.
"Immediately, people started to help out and help out – I bet I was the first guy here who lost everything who went home again… Phenomenal people. They just want to help," comments John, one of the North Shuswap residents interviewed in a newly released video from the Shuswap Community Foundation (SCF).
Created for the foundation by Salmon Arm's Max Beckner, the video documents rebuilding efforts enabled by the fund, launched by the SCF in August 2023 as people were still putting out fires from the Bush Creek East wildfire after it blazed through much of the North Shuswap, parts of the South Shuswap and over Skwlāx te Secwepemcúl̓ecw land.
Along with the video, the SCF issued a July 8 media release explaining how, to date, $975,000 has been raised through the fund. Of that, $808,000 was distributed to the North Shuswap Disaster Relief Society and other organizations "providing critical assistance to those in greatest need."
SCF executive director Roger Parenteau referred to the video as a way the SCF can fulfill an obligation to be transparent. He said early on in the fundraiser, the SCF received a lot of questions around how the fund would be used.
"I felt that reporting back, not just on the Community Foundation but of all the groups that came together to assist the community in the North Shuswap was really important," said Parenteau, noting a priority has been providing assistance to uninsured individuals who suffered property loss.
Some of the funding went towards economic recovery.
"A portion of the grant funding we did was granted to Community Futures as they were helping with the economic recovery – so the businesses that had sustained huge losses," said Parenteau. "Community Futures, Shuswap Economic Development and Salmon Arm Economic Development kind of came together – and they’re actually doing a video with Max as well."
Additionally, $165,000 was allocated to the three North Shuswap fire hall associations.
"The dollars available to the fire halls are sort of for needs over and above what is available in their annual budgets," said Parenteau. "So one of the halls has gotten back to us and they’re looking at community fire suppression equipment that they would like to purchase. The other two halls are discussing among their associations how they would like to see the funds best used."
Parenteau said funding has gone towards a myriad of needs, noting big one early on was power poles.
"Generally people in the North Shuswap, they’re pretty independent and if they’re reaching out for a hand, they really need it," said Parenteau. "A lot of the requests were like, we can live in a travel trailer until we can afford to rebuild, but we just need a hand to purchase a power pole so we can get electricity in. Something as simple as that made a huge difference to so many people."
Funding was also leveraged with in-kind work, such as covering the cost of building materials needed by a team with the Mennonite Disaster Service that was assisting people in rebuilding. Samaritan's Purse Canada, which also showed up last year to provide assistance, is wanting to return to undertake a clean-up project.
"We're looking at an application to assist them in doing that but the dollars are running low," said Parenteau, explaining there is still a lot to be done in the North Shuswap. "There’s still a great deal of need over there and anything helps. The Disaster Relief Society is still functioning at this point. There’s certainly community amenities that need to be rebuilt, community centres and stuff."
A point stressed by Parenteau not mentioned in the video is that none of the money raised has gone to administration costs.
"There was no administrative fee charged on this," he said. "That was one of the big things we heard on social media, was distrust of charities taking a big chunk for operations and advertising. A dollar in was a dollar into the community."
The video features several donors including Barry Delaney of SASCU, which early on in the fundraiser committed up to $25,000 in matching funds, and Preston Johnston and Darin Hayer, who raised $60,000 with a special Lakeview Friday Night Cruise-In fundraising event. Parenteau said other Community Foundations also provided support.
Parenteau and the SCF thanked the hundreds of donors that supported the fundraising effort, "and for your continued support and dedication to helping those in need."
For more information, or to donate to the Emergency Response Fund for wildfire relief, visit shuswapfoundation.ca.
