MONTREAL – Following the train disaster early Saturday morning in Lac×Mégantic, Québec, Bell and Quebecor have each made donations to the Red Cross to support relief efforts in this community of 6,000 about 250 kilometres east of Montreal.
Bell announced Sunday it had donated $25,000 to the Red Cross, and Quebecor announced today its donation of $100,000 to the organization.
In collaboration with the Red Cross, Quebecor is also launching a fundraising campaign across Quebec with the help of its subsidiaries TVA Group, Journal de Montreal, Le Journal de Quebec, 24 Hours, the Canoë French portal, and regional weeklies.
Bell has donated mobile phones, landlines, Wi-Fi and free payphone service for the shelter to keep emergency workers and residents connected.
All mobile phone users across Canada can also donate $5 to the Red Cross to support relief efforts by texting “ROUGE” or “REDCROSS” to 30333.
The Red Cross has deployed a 16-metre emergency response trailer previously donated by Bell. The vehicle has already transported supplies including beds, pillows and blankets to support an emergency shelter for displaced residents.
Videotron said it is waiving long distance charges for a period of one month for its customers who are calling their families in the Lac-Mégantic region. Videotron will also provide support to Axion Cable, a regional provider in the area, to help rebuild the network infrastructure damaged by the explosion.
The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers (CEP) Union of Canada announced Monday afternoon it has donated from its Humanity Fund to assist victims’ families and the communities affected by the accident. CEP's Quebec regional office has also made a donation.
As of Monday afternoon, 13 people had been confirmed killed and about 50 people are still unaccounted for after a runaway train carrying several cars of crude oil derailed and exploded in the town’s main strip.
