From the Ground Up: How North Shore Communities Are Rebuilding
Since May 2025, the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (CFNL) has been working with communities on the North Shore of Conception Bay to support their recovery from the wildfires that devastated the area last year.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed so generously to all of these recovery funds.
This is the latest update on progress to disburse on both the 2025 NL Forest Fires Recovery Fund and the North Shore Fires Recovery Fund. You can find all previous updates here.
2025 NL Forest Fires Recovery Fund
The 2025 NL Forest Fires Recovery Fund was established to support the long-term recovery of community organizations and infrastructure from wildfires across Newfoundland and Labrador. To date, it has raised over $170,000. Given the magnitude of the destruction on the North Shore, the Fund will focus on recovery in this area. The Fund is facilitated by the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, Community Sector Council of NL, Municipalities NL, and United Way of NL.
Thank you to all of the Donors and Supporters of this fund, especially ExxonMobil, Equinor, Cenovus Energy, Kraken Robotics, and North Sun Energy, for their very generous donations.
CFNL has been working alongside the community to guide how this fund would be put to work. We brought community leaders together and asked them what the North Shore meant to them. They told us: people come together here. People look out for each other without asking. Families, beaches, swimming holes, trails. Peace, quiet, the pace of life. Home.
And then we asked what they were missing. The green trees. The lights from the houses that were destroyed. The people who might not come back.
And what was giving them hope. Kids. New growth, green sprouts. Rebuilding. That people and the community are starting to heal. Grieving and rebuilding with intention.
When we asked the community what funding priorities mattered most, they were clear: restore what was damaged, invest in safety and resilience, support healing and wellbeing, and make sure the benefit is as broad as possible.
The projects that came out of those conversations reflect exactly that.
Western Bay Boardwalk ($40,000): More than half the boardwalk was lost. Restoring 320 feet of boardwalk and adding 1,000 feet of walking trail will give people back a place to be outside, breathe, and reconnect with nature and one another.
North Shore Recreation Trails ($66,175): Trail upgrades between Ochre Pit Cove and Western Bay, including culvert work and a warm-up shack. These trails are used extensively by community members and many others who visit this area for a ride or a walk. This will also improve emergency vehicle access to these areas. Restoring and improving them is about resilience as much as recreation, and will connect the trail from the Trans Canada Highway to Northern Bay and beyond.
Dry Hydrant for the Volunteer Fire Department ($25,000): There are no hydrants from Salmon Cove to Old Perlican. Last year, firefighters struggled to access water when they needed it most. A dry hydrant on the northern part of the North Shore changes that, a practical and lasting investment in fire safety for the whole shore. A dry hydrant is a permanently installed, unpressurized pipe system that allows firefighters to quickly access water from a static source, like a lake, pond, or river, into their fire trucks
Town of Small Point to Adam’s Cove ($37,500): Remediating fire damage around Broad Cove and transforming it into a green space with a swimming hole, event area, and dry hydrant for the southern portion of the region. Broad Cove Park has been where the Town of Small Point-Broad Cove-Blackhead-Adam’s Cove comes to walk, gather, and connect with nature. This will help support this larger project. You can learn more and donate to support this project here.
Kingston Community Bench ($3,500): A bench with flowers in Kingston, where the most destructive fire began. A place to sit, remember, and mark that this community got through it.
North Shore Fires Recovery Fund
The North Shore Fires Recovery Fund was created to support those who lost their primary residence as a result of wildfires on the North Shore in 2025. The fund raised over $270,000 from many generous donors. CFNL is disbursing these funds to over 100 eligible households. Cheques to households will be mailed by the end of June. You can find more details on the disbursement of this fund here.
Thank you to the hundreds of individuals, businesses, and groups who have donated to this fund. It is your many gifts coming together that provide caring support to help fuel recovery. We would like to extend a special thank you to:
- The North Shore Strong Concert at the Princess Sheila Nageira Theatre for raising over $15,000.
- Signal Hill Foundation for their significant $50,000 grant.
- Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees for their very generous donation of $50,000.
- Jungle Jim’s franchises across the province for donating $10,000 from this fall’s Burger Battle.
- Port of Argentia for their nearly $10,000 donation.
North Shore Fires Recovery Fund: How Funds Will Be Distributed
*NEW* June 2026 Update
CFNL has now received all applications from households eligible for the North Shore Fires Recovery Fund. We expect to make payments by the end of June 2026.
About the North Shore Fires Recovery Fund Disbursements
Since the 2025 fire season, communities across the North Shore of Conception Bay have shown extraordinary resilience, generosity, and care for one another. Many individuals and community leaders have been working hard to support the community’s recovery. The North Shore Fires Recovery Fund was created to support those who lost their primary residence in the fires. Today, we are sharing how those funds will be distributed.
The Fund has raised just over $250,000, made possible by hundreds of donors, near and far, who gave when it mattered most. Thank you. If you would like to contribute before funds are disbursed this spring, you can donate here. Your generosity is making a real difference for everyone rebuilding on the North Shore.
What We Heard from the Community
In developing the distribution approach, the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (CFNL) listened to residents and community leaders across the North Shore. We heard that the support needs to be:
- Fair and transparent
- Simple to access
- Delivered in a timely way
- Flexible enough to reflect individual circumstances
How Funds Will Be Distributed
Based on this input, funds will be distributed equally among the over 100 households whose primary residence was destroyed. With current funding levels, each household can expect to receive approximately $2,000.
Each eligible household will be able to choose how to proceed. Options include:
- Receiving the funds this spring
- Declining all or part of the funds so they can support households with greater needs or fewer resources
- Holding the funds while multi-unit housing options are explored
If you would like to stay informed about potential housing initiatives, you can indicate that in the application regardless of which option you choose.
This approach is intended to respect individual situations while maintaining fairness across all affected households.
Supporting Multi-Unit Housing Options
We recognize that many households, particularly those who are uninsured or underinsured, are facing significant barriers to rebuilding. To help address this, 10% of the total fund (approximately $25,000) will be reserved to explore multi-unit housing solutions. If no multi-unit housing solutions move forward, those funds will be distributed to eligible households.
Participation in any future housing project is entirely optional. If you choose to hold your portion while these projects are explored, you will be able to change your decision before any commitments are made.
Who Is Eligible
CFNL is using the same verified list of destroyed primary residences as the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Using this list avoids duplicating verification work that has already been completed.
Whether you own or rent your primary residence, your household is eligible. A residence is considered a primary residence if the person lives there for at least 6 months each year. Households are not eligible if they own another residence that could serve as their primary residence, because the priority of this fund is to help people who no longer have a place to call home.
What Happens Next
If your household is eligible, you will receive a direct email or phone call with application details. The application process has been designed to be as simple as possible and will remain open until June 7, 2026, or until all eligible households have submitted applications, whichever comes first.
If you lost a primary residence and did not receive an email, check your junk or spam folder and then reach out to info@cfnl.ca.
Once all funds have been distributed, the North Shore Fires Recovery Fund will close to donations. The Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador will continue to support future recovery projects.
This fund reflects the generosity of those who care about Newfoundland and Labrador, and the strength of the North Shore itself. We are committed to ensuring these funds are distributed in a way that is fair, respectful, and responsive.
If you have further questions, you’re welcome to reach out to us at info@cfnl.ca or (709) 753-9899.
North Shore Recovery Funds: January Update
This post is written by the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Executive Director, Nicole Dawe
In December, we provided an update on the Recovery Funds that CFNL is stewarding to support the North Shore of Conception Bay’s recovery from the devastating 2025 wildfires. You can find that update here. This included:
- A recap of the three Recovery Funds and details on funds raised in support of them, and
- Disbursements from the Adam’s Cove Recovery Fund to support volunteer firefighting on the North Shore.
We wanted to provide a further update on year-end fundraising and what’s next to disburse these funds to support recovery on the North Shore.
We’re very grateful for the trust that donors, communities, and partners place in CFNL to steward donations. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or feedback: ndawe@cfnl.ca or (709)221-1030.
Year-End Fundraising
Thank you so much to everyone who generously gave to support the Recovery Funds as part of your giving back during the month of December.
Thank you to everyone who has inspired donations to these funds. From sharing a Facebook post to telling someone else that you donated, it is all of this collective generosity that is making a difference. We’re especially grateful to the community leaders on the North Shore who have been working to actively raise funds while supporting themselves and their communities through rebuilding and recovery.
Click here to donate to the North Shore Fires Recovery Fund and here to donate to the 2025 NL Forest Fires Recovery Fund.
In the interest of transparency, we wanted to provide an updated report on funds raised and disbursed.
Recovery Fund Financial Update – December 31, 2025
| As of December 31, 2026 | Adam’s Cove (Fire Fighting) | North Shore (Individual Primary Residences) | NL Forest Fires* (Community Infrastructure and Groups) |
| Total Raised | $79,542 | $251,128 | $135,181 |
| Donation Processing Fees** | $891 | $561 | $649 |
| Funds Distributed | $77,466 | $0 | $0 |
| Funds for Distribution | $1,185 | $250,566 | $134,532 |
| Total Donors | 426 | 309 | 98 |
*Note – the 2025 NL Forest Fires Recovery Fund is a partnership with CFNL, Community Sector Council of NL, Municipalities NL and United Way of NL.
**Note – CFNL has waived its cost recovery/administration fees for all Recovery funds.
What’s Next?
CFNL has begun conversations with community groups and leaders on the North Shore to better understand and find consensus around how these funds can best support community recovery. These funds are meant to be flexible and fill in where there may be gaps in other financial recovery support.
We’ll share a what we heard, as well as what’s being recommended coming out of these conversations in the next month or two. Our hope is to get these funds to communities and individuals on the North Shore as soon as we can.
It’s our intention to be as transparent as possible about the fundraising and disbursements from this fund. We’re very grateful for the trust that donors, communities, and partners place in CFNL to steward donations. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or feedback: ndawe@cfnl.ca or (709)221-1030.
Recovery Funds: December Update
This post is written by the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Executive Director, Nicole Dawe
Last week, I was grateful to be invited to attend two events on the North Shore of Conception Bay. A town hall organized by the Town of Small Point to Adam’s Cove to provide a report about funds that had been raised to support recovery and the North Shore Volunteer Fire Department’s Firefighters Appreciation Dinner, celebrating and recognizing the courageous volunteer firefighters who responded this Spring and Summer to the many wildfires in this area of the province.
We’ve been focused on supporting fundraising for the area. After being in the community more last week, it felt like the right time to provide a more detailed update on the recovery funds. It’s our intention to be as transparent as possible about the fundraising and disbursements from these funds. We’re very grateful for the trust that donors, communities, and partners place in CFNL to steward donations. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or feedback: ndawe@cfnl.ca or (709)221-1030.
Town Hall Recap
At the town hall, CFNL provided a detailed update on fundraising and disbursements for the Recovery Funds it stewards.
CFNL began supporting the North Shore after the Adam’s Cove Fire in May 2025. At that time, the fund (Adam’s Cove Fire Recovery Fund) was focused on supporting volunteer firefighting equipment and capacity. The entire fund was disbursed in December 2025 to support volunteer firefighting and capacity on the North Shore.
As this unprecedented wildfire season continued, two more funds emerged in response to what was happening in communities:
- North Shore Fires Recovery Fund – Because of the devastation of the Kingston Fire, communities on the North Shore wished to shift fundraising to support individuals rebuilding their primary residences. Thank you to the many champions of this fund who have been working tirelessly to inspire donations. No funds have been disbursed from this fund yet. To maximize its impact, it will be used to fill in gaps presented by other funding sources. Once we have more clarity on those other funding sources, we will work to get these funds out into the community with care and integrity.
- 2025 NL Forest Fires Recovery Fund – As wildfires burned across much of the province, CFNL, along with Community Sector Council of NL, Municipalities NL and United Way of NL, launched a fund intended to support community recovery from wildfire across the province. This was intended as a provincial fund; due to the devastation experienced on the North Shore, the partners have decided to focus the majority of the fund there. No funds have been disbursed from this fund yet. Partners will be working with communities and community leaders in the area to guide disbursements from this fund.
Recovery Fund Financial Update (October 31, 2025)
| As at Oct 31, 2025 | Adam’s Cove (Fire Fighting) |
North Shore (Individual Primary Residences) |
NL Forest Fires (Community Infrastructure and Groups) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Raised | $68,316.90 | $207,822.91 | $133,215.08 |
| Donation Processing Fees | $890.51 | $405.77 | $676.23 |
| Funds for Distribution | $67,426.39 | $207,417.14 | $132,538.85 |
| Total Donors | 419 | 272 | 86 |
Note – CFNL has waived its administration fees for all Recovery funds.
Firefighters Appreciation Dinner – Saturday, December 6
“Even in the worst situations we find ourselves in, good often emerges. The support for the fire department and our communities is nothing short of remarkable. Our sisters and brothers in volunteer firefighting were with us. This province is full of people who want to help and do everything they can to help our communities recover. Time, energy, and effort were freely given by so many volunteers.”
— Chief Roger Gillingham, North Shore Volunteer Fire Department
This was a moving and inspiring evening recognizing the many, many extraordinary and caring people who responded to the fires on the North Shore from the first one on Good Friday, in April, to the devastation of the Kingston Fire in August. This included fire departments from Labrador West to Pouch Cove, many of whom were there and recognized on Saturday night.
Chief Gillingham told us the story of this spring and summer, acknowledging the many people who supported their efforts. You could hear in his remarks and from others why so many had so much respect for the Chief’s clear, caring and compassionate leadership, which was essential throughout this year. A leadership lesson for us all.
The North Shore Volunteer Fire Department and the Town of Small Point to Adam’s Cove were the driving forces behind the event, with funding support from Fortis and NL Power. Thank you for all your energy and care in putting together a very touching evening. You can read more about it here in this article from CBC.
We were grateful to be in attendance to present a cheque for $67,426.39 from the Adam’s Cove Fire Recovery Fund to support capacity and equipment for volunteer firefighting on the North Shore. Thank you to the 419 donors who made this a reality, to the many community champions who inspired people to give to this fund, and to the North Shore Volunteer Fire Department for your leadership and courage in the response and recovery on the North Shore throughout this year.
It’s our intention to be as transparent as possible about the fundraising and disbursements from this fund. We’re very grateful for the trust that donors, communities, and partners place in CFNL to steward donations. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or feedback: ndawe@cfnl.ca or (709)221-1030.
2025 Forest Fire Recovery Funds
Forest fires are threatening communities across Newfoundland and Labrador. Many communities are evacuated, and tens of thousands more residents are on evacuation alert. Our hearts go out to everyone dealing with all of this.
To support rebuilding efforts, the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador is stewarding two Recovery Funds.
Your generosity will support communities as they recover from this disaster.
1. North Shore Fires Recovery Fund (formerly Adam’s Cove Fire Recovery Fund)
The north shore of Conception Bay is dealing with its 11th fire of this year. The Kingston Fire has grown to more than 10,000 hectares, forcing the evacuation of communities and destroying homes and other structures. CFNL is supporting the Town of Small Point-Broad Cove-Blackhead-Adam’s Cove to raise funds with a focus on volunteer firefighting capacity and equipment.
On the front lines of all of these fires are members of the North Shore Volunteer Fire Department who serve communities along the north shore of Conception Bay from Small Point to Burnt Point. Like many volunteer fire departments across the province, securing the necessary resources for safe and effective response remains a constant challenge.
2. 2025 NL Forest Fires Recovery Fund
Facilitated by the Community Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, Community Sector Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador and United Way of Newfoundland and Labrador, the 2025 NL Forest Fires Recovery Fund is intended for long-term recovery efforts as identified by local communities when they are ready for rebuilding after emergency response. This provides funders and donors with the knowledge and comfort that their contributions will support projects that are prioritized by local communities with transparent and accountable local oversight.
Visit https://www.wildfirenl.ca/ to learn more about volunteering and critical information about the forest fires.
To give to immediate relief efforts, you can donate to The Canadian Red Cross or Salvation Army to support the vital assistance they provide to communities in times of crisis.
CFNL is a registered charity (BN: 853376531RR0001).