After 12 weeks of helping those in the Port Aux Basques region devastated by the impacts of Hurricane Fiona, the Canadian Red Cross is moving out, but there’s still more work to be done.

The Canadian Red Cross is permanently closing its Port Aux Basques reception centre at the end of day today and tomorrow marks 12 weeks since their arrival on the ground.

Dan Beddell is Communications Director for the Atlantic region with the Canadian Red Cross. He says their role in Port Aux Basques has evolved over time.

He says today really is a good news milestone in that they have reached a point where they no longer require a physical, in-person presence on the ground. However, that does not mean they are finished their work in the region by any means.

For those looking for reimbursements from the provincial government for purchases made as a result of Fiona—today marks an important date.

He says those purchases could be medical or mobility devices, kitchen appliances, water, mold, tree branch and other debris removal, minor damages and property repair. The deadline to apply is December 31, however, it’s for purchases made between September 24 and December 15.

An approved list of products and services for reimbursement is available on the provincial government and Red Cross websites.

Beddell explains that initially, the support provided was around emergency lodging, feeding and working with community partners and organizations to assists those whose homes were destroyed or damaged to the point they were unsafe.

He says the focus of their work in the last few days in the Port Aux Basques area has been around that reimbursement program.