In face of extreme weather, Canadians increasingly turn to crowdfunding for help [Video]

A couple in their 70s left homeless after their trailer home burned to the ground in last summer’s Nova Scotia wildfires; an artist in Charlevoix, Que., whose studio was destroyed in floods after a powerful rainstorm; a general store in Tatamagouche, N.S., struggling to pay the bills after post-tropical storm Fiona.

Families and small businesses in Canada like these are increasingly turning to crowdfunding for financial help as they struggle to recover from the damage wrought by floods, wildfires and storms.

Sharon Campbell’s sister raised money on her behalf after heavy rain led to flooding in her Edson, Alta., home last June. Her basement was submerged in almost two metres of water, requiring major repairs that still aren’t finished nearly a year later.

“It was overwhelming,” said Campbell, who works as a school bus driver. “Your home is your safe place, and when something like this happens, it does really shake you to the core.”

Between 2019 …