I'm trying to help someone get through their cancelled flight problem and hope someone here might have a solution/suggestions.

Westjet cancelled their flights due to strike.
They were scheduled to fly July 1st from Halifax to Calgary, then catch a connecting flight to Tokyo.

Constraints:
- They are attending a conference July 2-4, and returning on July 9th.
- They cannot fly through US, one person has EU passport and there is not enough time to get them a travel visa.

I already checked on Google flights, Hopper and Kayak for alternate flights but they are paying out of pocket and can't afford the ticket pricing.

Any suggestions?