Ontario appoints Doug McNeil as special adviser on flooding

Globeandmail.com
July 19, 2019
The Canadian Press

Ontario has appointed a special adviser on flooding to recommend ways the province can reduce the effects of flooding and help communities deal with them.

Doug McNeil is a former Manitoba deputy minister of infrastructure and transportation and held senior positions at the Manitoba Floodway Authority.

He will be paid up to $60,000 and will be expected to deliver a report and recommendations in the fall.

Natural Resources Minister John Yakabuski says Mr. McNeil will assess the roles of governments and agencies involved in flood management, and recommend ways to help Ontario communities better prepare for future flooding.

Mr. Yakabuski has also sent a letter to the federal and Quebec environment ministers, asking for their help in launching an independent review of how the Ottawa River system is managed.

Earlier this year, the Progressive Conservative government cut conservation authorities’ funding for flood management in half.