Ottawa to match money raised by Red Cross for Summerland wildfire relief
Published 3:36 pm Friday, August 28, 2026
The federal government will contribute funds for the recovery efforts following the Bald Range wildfire.
On Aug. 28, Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience, announced that the federal government will match, dollar for dollar, money raised through the Red Cross’s fire appeal.
That appeal began Aug. 4 and through to Sept. 5. The money will benefit those affected by wildfires, with the Red Cross determining how the funds will be spent.
Olszewski said the province will work to pay out the money as quickly as possible.
She added that the federal government has changed its way of providing funding following disasters.
“We totally understand how devastating this is for communities,” she said. “It is an imperative to get money to communities as quickly as we can.”
Olszewski said she has seen some of the wildfire devastation in Summerland earlier in the day.
“My heart absolutely goes out to every single person impacted by what happened here. It’s completely heartbreaking in every way,” she said.
Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes said funding is needed during the recovery efforts.
“The more funding the better. We know people are going to need help,” he said.
He added that Summerland is working to develop a recovery plan for the community.
The wildfire began late in the afternoon of Aug. 7 and has reached a size of 25,191 hectares. It destroyed an estimated 40 structures in Summerland along with around 150 in the surrounding areas.
During the worst of the wildfire, the entire community of Summerland, along with surrounding areas were under evacuation orders.
At present, the fire is described as being held.