Wildfire Resources & Information for Nova Scotians
June 1, 2023: The recent wildfires have caused loss and upheaval for many Nova Scotians. In all the turmoil, knowing what to do next can feel overwhelming. We’ve collected some resources and advice to help you or your loved ones find the information and help they need.
Keep up to date on emergency alerts and information at: https://novascotia.ca/alerts/
Emergency Assistance
Find up-to-date information on comfort centres for residents within affected areas at halifax.ca and facebook.com/shelburneemo, including evacuation centres and evacuation orders.
The Canadian Red Cross is providing shelter support at:
Barrington: Sandy Wickens Memorial Arena, 12 Park Lane, Sherose Island
Shelburne: Municipal Building and Fire Hall, 63 King Street, Shelburne
Halifax: Canada Games Centre in Halifax, 26 Thomas Raddall Dr, Halifax
The Red Cross is also providing $500 in assistance on behalf of the Province to people who have been ordered to vacate their homes by officials.
You can register by calling 1–800–863–6582 between the hours of 8 am — 8 pm or by visiting their website directly at: https://www.redcross.ca/how-we-help/current-emergency-responses/atlantic-canada-wildfire-responses
The Canadian Red Cross will never ask for your banking information, social insurance number or credit card number in order to receive financial assistance.
Insurance
The Insurance Bureau of Canada has activated its Community Assistance Mobile Pavilion (CAMP) to provide insurance information to affected residents. CAMP is now available at Canada Games Centre in Halifax (26 Thomas Raddall Dr.) to answer insurance-related questions for Nova Scotia consumers and business owners affected by fire damage.
Consumers who are unable to visit IBC’s physical CAMP location are encouraged to contact IBC’s Consumer Information Centre by phone at 1–844–2ask-IBC (1–844–227–5422) or by email at AtlanticCIC@ibc.ca.
You can find more information at: http://www.ibc.ca/ns/disaster/wildfires/
The Canadian Red Cross provides a home inventory checklist at: https://www.redcross.ca/crc/documents/How-We-Help/Emergencies-and-Disasters-in-Canada/Home-Inventory-Checklist_EN.pdf
Tenants and Landlords
Both landlords and tenants retain their rights and responsibilities under the Residential Tenancies Act and Regulations.
Tenants with tenants’ insurance may want to contact their provider to find out what help may be available to them.
Notice to Quit: If a tenant’s unit is determined not to be inhabitable for health and safety reasons by a municipal building or fire inspector, the tenant needs to vacate immediately. The order to vacate will come through a municipal building inspector, not through the residential tenancy program.
Where a rental unit has been made uninhabitable by fire, a landlord can file a Form F — Landlord’s Notice to Quit: Additional Circumstances to terminate the tenancy. There is no established notice period, but it must be a reasonable amount of time. If a tenant wishes to dispute the notice, they may file a Form J to resolve the dispute; the landlord must file a Form J themselves if the tenant does not leave.
Possessions: A landlord can only remove a tenant’s possessions once a tenancy has ended and the goods have been abandoned. There are provisions about storage and disposal of a tenant’s personal property that must be adhered to. You can refer to Accounting for the sale of tenant’s abandoned personal property (Form B) — Government of Nova Scotia for more information.
Guests and Pets: Tenants in unaffected areas may offer accommodation or pet care to people displaced by the fires. Tenants are permitted to have guests , but if a landlord has reason to believe that someone has actually moved into the property and will not be added to the lease, then they may use the Form J process to remove them.
Speak to the landlord about permission to look after pets or bring a guest’s pets into the building, and get approval in writing if you can. Landlords are not required to change the terms of a lease because of an emergency situation, but some may be flexible while also respecting the needs of other tenants.
Occupancy limits and by-law standards: Any questions about occupancy standards can be directed to the local municipality where the unit is located.
For more information, visit the Residential Tenancies Program website at: https://beta.novascotia.ca/programs-and-services/residential-tenancies-program
Consumer Protection
Services: If you expect to be out of your home for a while, contact your service providers to pause or cancel accounts associated with your address like electricity, internet or scheduled deliveries.
Contact your cellular provider to ensure you have the coverage and data plan you need.
Price Gouging: A local state of emergency is in effect in the Halifax Regional Municipality communities affected by the wildfires. During a state of local emergency, the Emergency Management Act prohibits businesses from charging more than fair market prices for essential goods and services like food, water, clothing, fuel & medical supplies.
If you’ve been impacted by the fires, try to keep receipts from your purchases. If you think you’ve been the victim of illegal price gouging, contact your local police to report any suspected cases.
Charity Scams: If you’d like to help the families & communities enduring the wildfires, try to offer food, shelter, or pet care directly to comfort centres or people you know, if you can. But If you’re thinking about donating money, remember that a crisis attracts scammers as well as helpers.
Be sure you trust the fundraiser before contributing & ignore text, email or social media linking to strange websites or unknown organizations.
Benefit Scams: No legitimate government assistance program will ever ask you to click a link to claim or confirm your money. Ignore, block, and delete any messages offering refunds or assistance that you do not recognize.
Look up the organization independently and contact it directly if you have any questions.
Home Repairs: Damage caused by a fire may require significant repairs. While many contractors are reliable and legitimate, amateurs and scammers may see the wildfires as an opportunity.
The Canadian Red Cross provides a summary of information to obtain & questions to ask on at: https://www.redcross.ca/crc/documents/How-We-Help/Emergencies-and-Disasters-in-Canada/Substantial-Repair-Reconstruction-Contract-Checklist_EN.pdf
If a contractor approaches you, remember that door-to-door sellers must be licensed by Service Nova Scotia. You can confirm if a direct seller is licensed in Nova Scotia via the Open Data portal.
