Struggling B.C. flood victims claim Red Cross has cut financial supports
In a matter of moments, decades of memories and belongings were wiped out inside the home of Anastasia Schell.
She and her family were among the thousands of Sumas Prairie residents forced to evacuated their homes during last year's catastrophic floods.
“We lost 35 years together with my husband. Everything from family photos, videos, wedding photos,” Schell said.
Schell says she and her family were bounced around low-end hotels for months before the Red Cross stepped up with legitimate assistance.
She claims the organization said they would provide $1,300 per month for rent for half a year, and another $600 for basic needs.
"I remember sitting there crying because I was so overwhelmed that they were going to do that for us,”
That relief however, didn’t last long.
Schell says after around two months, the Red Cross pulled the plug on financial supports.
"I got a phone call from my caseworker, and he went through the information to verify everything. Then he said, 'Well just to let you know we're not helping anymore,'" Schell recalled.
"It's not fun, it's not easy, it's not fair," she said.
She says there are plenty of others out there going through the same thing.
One of those people is Mary Dyck, who says she was assured of having half of the rent paid for six months, but the support only lasted half of that time.
“It's happening to a lot of families, there's several of us that are in the same boat," Dyck said.
After media attention and inquiries on these claims, the Red Cross sent a statement to CTV News.
“The Red Cross has followed up to ensure people affected by the flooding understand and have access to the supports that are available," it read.
After she spoke to CTV News, Schell says the relief organization called her to apologize for what’s happened, and told they will call back Tuesday to work to restore funding for everyone.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.