Building Back Jamaica Strong: How Canada’s Diaspora Is Helping After Hurricane Melissa -

As part of our ongoing commitment to sharing verified updates and inspiring coordinated action across the global Jamaican diaspora, Jamaicans.com hosted a special live town hall titled “Building Back Jamaica Strong: Diaspora in Action – USA & Canada.”

The discussion featured High Commissioners, Consuls General, and Global Jamaica Diaspora Council representatives, who joined us to provide factual, up-to-date information on relief efforts in the communities they oversee.

In yesterday’s feature, we focused on the United States, highlighting how the diaspora there has mobilised to support recovery following Hurricane Melissa. In this piece, we turn our attention to Canada’s response — where Jamaicans from coast to coast are working together to deliver aid, raise funds, and maintain transparency in rebuilding efforts.

Coordinating Canada’s Response — High Commissioner Marsha Coore Lobban

Speaking from Ottawa, High Commissioner Marsha Coore Lobban outlined Canada’s comprehensive response to Hurricane Melissa, combining government-level support with diaspora-driven action. She confirmed that the Government of Canada has pledged CA$2 million in assistance to Jamaica, as part of a CA$7 million regional allocation to countries affected by the storm.

A Canadian Red Cross aircraft carrying relief supplies has already been dispatched, and the Canada–CARICOM military cooperation framework was activated to provide search-and-rescue and logistical assistance across the region.

The High Commissioner praised the swift mobilisation of Jamaican communities across Canada, noting contributions ranging from Alberta lumber donations and 1,080 water-purification kits from Global Medic, to partnerships with Food For The Poor Canada and Atlas Shippers, which has been moving barrels free of cost under Jamaica’s duty-free relief window.

She emphasised the importance of coordination and accuracy in information-sharing to avoid duplication of effort.

“Our goal is to make sure every effort counts — no wasted energy, no wasted donations,” she said. “The diaspora’s response has been swift and generous, showing once again how Jamaicans in Canada step up when the island needs them most.”

To ensure transparency and alignment, Coore Lobban said all activities are being coordinated through the High Commission in Ottawa and the Consulate General in Toronto, working directly with ODPEM and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT) in Jamaica.

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Accountability and Transparency — Consul General Kurt Davis

In Toronto, Consul General Kurt Davis underscored the importance of accountability and transparency as central to the diaspora’s relief efforts. He explained that systems are already in place to track donations and ensure every shipment moving through official channels is properly recorded.

“What we’ve started to do here is to be able to start tracking all the things that are being donated,” he said, adding that while privately sent items under the government’s duty-free waiver might not all be traceable, supplies shipped through the official ODPEM pool are fully documented.

“For the main pipeline of things coming through the outreach appeal that’s going into the ODPEM pool, we are keeping a full, full track of the items that have been sent… That much we will be able to report on for sure,” he explained.

Davis also clarified that while community groups across Canada are spearheading local donation drives, no financial contributions are being handled by the missions directly.

“Funding will be another thing,” he said. “Nobody’s going to be giving funding to the consulate or to the High Commission. All the funding for Jamaican government entities is going straight to the supportjama.gov.jm site — and that’s a very important site for people to pay attention to.”

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The Consul General commended the partnerships forming across Canada with long-standing organisations such as the Jamaican Canadian Association (JCA), GraceKennedy Money Services, and JN Bank Canada, which are providing logistical support and facilitating official remittances.

He stressed that transparency builds trust, helping sustain the relief momentum within the diaspora.

“When people can see that their efforts are making a difference, they give more, they volunteer more, and that’s how trust grows,” Davis noted.

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Grassroots Relief and Fundraising — Lisa Rutty

Global Jamaica Diaspora Council (GJDC) Representative for Canada, Lisa Rutty, spoke passionately about the outpouring of support from Jamaicans across the country. She noted that the community’s response has been immediate and heartfelt, with people stepping forward to volunteer, donate, and help coordinate relief efforts through established channels.

Working closely with the Jamaican Canadian Association (JCA), Rutty said a volunteer database has been created to organise sorting, packing, and logistics for shipments bound for Jamaica. She praised local groups for their efficiency and commitment to accountability.

“It’s incredible to see how quickly people have come together — from students to seniors, everyone wants to be part of the recovery,” she said.

Rutty also announced that the Hurricane Melissa Relief Concert will be held in Toronto on Friday, November 15, 2025, featuring more than 35 performers. Proceeds will go to verified charities supporting recovery efforts on the island.

“We’ve already raised about sixty thousand dollars,” she shared, noting that the funds would be distributed through trusted partners in line with ODPEM’s national response plan.

Beyond fundraising, she emphasised the importance of long-term engagement, urging the diaspora to remain involved as Jamaica moves from emergency relief to recovery and rebuilding.

“The first few weeks always bring the most attention, but recovery takes time,” Rutty said. “We’re encouraging everyone to keep giving, keep volunteering, and keep Jamaica at the top of their hearts.”

A Call to Unity

As the global recovery effort continues, Jamaicans.com will keep amplifying verified information to inspire trust and coordination.

“There’s already a lot of misinformation out there,” said Xavier Murphy, founder of Jamaicans.com. “We’re committed to ensuring the diaspora hears directly from the people leading these efforts — so they can give confidently, through trusted channels.”

We’ll continue to host live updates and conversations with diaspora representatives around the world as the relief and rebuilding process unfolds.

If you’re part of an NGO, government agency, business, community group, or individual coordinating Hurricane Melissa relief and need diaspora support, email your verified information to info@jamaicans.com. We’ll share it across our platforms to help get the word out.