(Photo: CPAC)

Assistance from the Canadian Armed Forces is being made available after a request from the Nova Scotia government.

Post-tropical storm Fiona struck the province over a 12-hour period devastating homes and businesses and leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Trudeau reconvened the Incident Response Group and approved the military for deployment to Nova Scotia for assessment and cleanup.

“Canadian Armed Forces, Canadian Coast Guard, and Transport Canada have all been embedded in the provincial Emergency Operations Centres and engaging with our provincial and local counterparts to make sure that we were prepared to respond and to work together, says Minister of Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair.

He adds Nova Scotians will begin to see the presence of the military very quickly. They will be working closely with officials in debris removal and providing the support and services that the Nova Scotia government has requested.

“With the Canadian Coast Guard, they have ships, they have helicopters, and they’ve got the personnel and they’re already in the community and they’re already responding,” Blair adds.

Minister of Defence Anita Anand couldn’t provide exact numbers, with regards to how many troops will be responding, but she did say many are coming from Gagetown, New Brunswick and CFB Halifax.

Prime Minister Trudeau also stated during this afternoon’s news conference,  the federal government will match any Red Cross donations Canadians and corporations make over the next 30 days to help support those in need in the Atlantic provinces.

There is also much devastation in Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and in Southeastern New Brunswick, as a result of post-tropical storm Fiona.

“The Government of Canada will continue to work closely with provincial governments, affected First Nations communities, and emergency response organizations to ensure that necessary support is provided to affected Canadians during this difficult time. The government is also committed to working closely to support recovery and rebuilding efforts,” Trudeau adds.