PRESS RELEASES

Vancouver Coalition collectively donates $1,000,000 to British Columbia Flood Relief—Government of Canada and BC Government commitment triples funds.

Vancouver, BC— December 9, 2021 — Today a coalition of Vancouver companies have raised over a million dollars in support of the Red Cross’ British Columbia Floods and Extreme Weather Appeal to carry out relief, recovery, resilience, and risk reduction activities in and beyond the region at the individual and community levels.

The second round of donations by the coalition are led by Deloitte, Herschel Supply Co, Nexii, BlueShore Financial, tentree, Purdys Chocolatier, Motion Metrics, Coconut Software, Anthem Properties, Absolute Software and DNEG, and include an internal matching campaign by Hootsuite. The fundraiser’s first round was completed on November 19, 2021.

Together, the Canadian Federal Government and the Provincial Government of British Columbia will match every dollar donated to the Canadian Red Cross 2021 British Columbia Floods & Extreme Weather Appeal—between Nov 17 to Dec 24, 2021—with all funds going to support those affected by the floods and extreme weather conditions. Now tripled, the amount raised by the coalition has reached a collective CAD 3,000,000.

“No individual or community should have to face the devastating impact of the recent floods and extreme weather in British Columbia alone,” said Pat Quealey, vice-president, British Columbia and Yukon, Canadian Red Cross. “Thanks to this donation from the coalition of Vancouver organizations, amplified by the matching program of the federal and provincial governments, these funds will help the people directly affected by the floods along their road to recovery.”

The commitment from the group of 40 members will provide flood relief through additional support to the affected communities where they’re needed most.

• “Supporting the well-being of our communities is foundational to BlueShore Financial’s values,” said Armita Alikhani, VP Marketing and Communications, BlueShore Financial. “As a BC-based financial institution, we are eager to help our communities rebuild and recover from the recent environmental devastation that has hit our province.”

• “The tentree team was so saddened to hear about the impact these recent storms have had on our neighbours across BC and was so moved to see local businesses step up to support the communities affected,” said Derrick Emsley, CEO, tentree. “We’re proud to be part of this group and hope that our contribution will provide the care and aid needed during these challenging times.”

• “It’s heartbreaking to see the devastation that the recent BC storm and flooding have caused. We see and read about disasters all over the world every day, but they’re particularly poignant when they take place in our own backyard. Our thoughts are with all of those affected by this unfortunate disaster,” said Lyndon Cormack, Co-Founder & Managing Director at Herschel Supply Co. “Herschel Supply is committed to our community—BC is our home and we’re all in this together. We are proud to join other amazing Vancouver-based companies in contributing to the Red Cross British Columbia Floods & Extreme Weather Appeal and encourage others to lend their support in any way that they can.”

• “We deeply value the opportunity, along with the local tech community and this coalition of BC businesses, to contribute to the communities impacted by the devastating floods”, said Erica Pretorius, Partner, Deloitte.

• “The families affected by BC’s recent floods and storms are our community—they're our customers, our employees and our friends. We hope the money raised with this coalition will help provide the much-needed support they need for recovery,” said Kriston Dean, VP of Sales & Marketing, Purdys Chocolatier.

• "We are saddened by the recent flooding in BC and feel very grateful to be part of a caring community of BC businesses working together to support those impacted," said Lorie Corcuera, Head of People, Vancouver and LA, DNEG.

More information:

The Canadian Red Cross has activated its humanitarian workforce to support response efforts and continues to work closely with community leaders and all levels of government on how to best support people, who are impacted by flooding and extreme weather in British Columbia, throughout their recovery.

On behalf of the Province of British Columbia and thanks to the generosity of Canadians, The Red Cross will be distributing financial assistance to eligible affected households. This amount includes $1,000 from the province of British Columbia and $1,000 from the Canadian Red Cross.

• People who are impacted by flooding and extreme weather events in British Columbia and may require financial assistance can register with Red Cross by calling 1-800-863-6582 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. PST.

• Registration with Red Cross ensures people are accounted for, can be contacted while away from home, and can also be reached with information about further Red Cross services and assistance that may become available to them during this time of need.

For more information on the Red Cross’ emergency response services, please visit redcross.ca/how-we-help/current-emergency-responses/2021-british-columbia-floods-and-extreme-weather