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Island Red Cross volunteers off to Calgary

Southern Alberta's devastating floods have prompted a surge in Red Cross donations and volunteer support

Southern Alberta's devastating floods have prompted a surge in Red Cross donations and volunteer support across Vancouver Island.

On Saturday, three Red Cross volunteers from Victoria, Duncan and Mayne Island left for Calgary to help co-ordinate shelter services and deliver emergency supplies to many of the 65,000 people forced from their homes after the Bow and Elbow rivers spilled their banks.

Another volunteer from Nanaimo was expected to arrive in Calgary Tuesday.

The Red Cross has received about $3.5 million in donations since the devastating floods took southern Alberta communities by surprise, said Amrit Dhatt, Red Cross spokeswoman.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the magnitude of the flooding extraordinary. Areas of downtown Calgary are still without essential services.