Tensions are still high for thousands of Islanders still waiting to receive $250 in provincial aid nearly a month after Fiona devastated the province.
The frustration is clear at the Red Cross site in Charlottetown, as another long line formed Friday.
People began waiting before dawn, but not even that was a guarantee. Many were past the cutoff and told to come Saturday after about 120 to 150 appointment tickets were given out.
The Red Cross is responsible to distribute the funds, but it is provincial aid money.
"This isn’t Red Cross money, this is government money, its public money, which was promised days after the Fiona arrived here to be distributed to all households," said Peter Bevan-Baker, P.E.I. Opposition Leader. "No questions asked. No barriers in place."
The Red Cross said volunteers are dealing with staffing issues and limited space while trying to assist rightfully frustrated Islanders.
"Obviously we still have a limited capacity. This is not a stadium that we have, have access to, where we can process upwards of 400 or 500 people a day," said Amelie Panneton, Red Cross Hurricane Fiona Response P.E.I. operations manager. "This is something we’re trying to work towards."
The Red Cross has promised improvement, which includes plans for a new Charlottetown site.
The opposition puts the blame squarely on the shoulders of government.
"Government has absolutely left them to flounder by themselves," said Bevan-Baker. "This is government’s responsibility to make sure that these public dollars get into the hands of Islanders who desperately need it now, and they have failed spectacularly."
The province announced the hurricane relief Sept. 30.
More than 10,000 households are estimated to still be waiting on provincial aid, a number that represents about one fifth of all Islanders who’ve registered.
In an emailed statement, the P.E.I. government said they’ve been working closely with the Red Cross for the last several days and the organization is set to approve 12,000 pending applications for aid Friday.
CTV News verified this with the Red Cross, who said the money is coming, and most can expect to see funds either Friday or early next week.
