As Hurricane Fiona struck Atlantic Canada after making landfall early Saturday, Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said the federal government is allocating federal resources to assist the provinces in the wake of the storm. Blair told CTV News on Saturday that preparations for the storm began several days ago "in close cooperation" with the provinces, adding: "Everything is ready to ensure that we recover as quickly as possible, and to this end, we have been working very closely and receiving ... requests for assistance from our provincial counterparts."

Hurricane-force winds hit Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Île de la Madeleine, and southwestern Newfoundland, according to the Canadian Hurricane Center, with peak wind gusts reaching 161 km/h over Beaver Island. Officials estimated that half a million homes and businesses across the Maritimes were without power Saturday morning, forcing municipalities to declare local states of emergency.

Blair said, "The cleanup will be intense, and our first priority, of course, is to ensure everyone's safety, and after that, we will work together to help rebuild what was damaged." Blair continued, saying the federal government has been in contact with premiers in all five affected provinces, and Indigenous Services Canada is working with First Nations communities to ensure support. He added that the federal government is also prepared to arrange strategic airlift assets for evacuation, the armed forces to assist with debris removal and water and service repairs, elaborating: "We are having direct discussions with Nova Scotia regarding federal resources from the Coast Guard, the Canadian Armed Forces, Parks Canada, Transport Canada, all of which are coming to assist that province. We also have arrangements for disaster financial assistance with the provinces following these natural events, which is very important and crucial to have the necessary resources for rebuilding."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted on Saturday afternoon in support of the affected provinces and wrote: "Our government is ready to support the provinces with additional resources."