Toronto to get $22.5M as ice storm relief funds finally flow from Queen's Park

After more than a year, municipalities crippled by the 2013 storm are being offered interim funds in response to their cleanup claims.

Thestar.com
Feb. 17, 2015
By Richard J. Brennan

After more than a year, Toronto and other municipalities crippled by the 2013 ice storm are finally seeing some provincial relief flow.

Interim payments are starting to trickle into 49 municipalities, including Toronto, which has been offered $22.5 million, or about 35 per cent of the $64.2 million originally requested.

“I expect to get 100 per cent of the claim we put in. We followed the outline (of the application) and we certainly expect to get it all back,” Mike St. Amant, acting City of Toronto treasurer, told the Star Tuesday.

A spokesperson in Municipal Affairs Minister Ted McMeekin’s office said Toronto could receive more as the city’s application is further reviewed.

“As a show of good faith, municipalities and conservation authorities that applied and qualified ... we have extended an interim payment to all of them,” McMeekin said. The final bill to the province should be about $160 million - less than the original estimate of $190 million to cover ice storm damage.

Three municipalities have already received full or nearly full payment: Centre Wellington Township received $297,000, Mapleton Township $23,000 and Puslinch Township $44,000
McMeekin said the financial support had to be related directly to the ice storm, “monies that had to be spent to clean up.”

St. Amant received a letter Friday from the ministry telling the city it was eligible for $22,488,907.71 in response to its claim and that it would have to sign a grant agreement before an interim payment is made.

“Once the full review is complete, your municipality would be issued the remaining eligible funds,” said the letter signed by Shawn Perry, manager, Ice Storm Assistance Program.

St. Amant estimated the city had a further $5 million in expenses, such as lost revenues, related to the ice storm that did not qualify for reimbursement.

The Liberal government had been the target of criticism late last year because not a penny of the money had flowed.

Interim Tory Leader Jim Wilson, who was the Progressive Conservative energy minister when the 1998 ice storm hammered eastern Ontario, drew a contrast with the government of Mike Harris, which he said “acted immediately” to assist municipalities and individuals.

“We made decisions on the spot ... so this government has been exceptionally slow in a serious situation,” Wilson said. “You are supposed to cut red tape in these situations.”
Interim payments have been offered to:

Ajax, $178,482; Alnwick/Haldimand, $10,378; Aurora, $102,833.

Brampton, $6,604,414; Brant County, $17,314; Brantford, $34,552; Burlington, $1,166,883.

Caledon, $272,488; Cambridge, $122,547; Clarington, $463,428; Cobourg, $32,053.

Durham Region, $525,021; East Gwillimbury, $5,048; Erin, $156,702; Guelph, $321,080; Guelph/Eramosa, $56,178.

Halton Hills, $326,901; Halton Region, $996,639; Hamilton, $1,446,814; Hamilton Township, $17,699; Huron East, $3,889.

King, $76,310; Kitchener, $143,028; Markham, $2,480,559; Milton, $650,370; Minto, $28,173; Mississauga, $3,310,943

Newmarket, $43,548; North Perth, $31,962; Northumberland County, $13,015; Oakville, $1,922,379; Oshawa, $571,619.

Peel Region, $796,847; Pickering, $180,928; Port Hope, $164,949; Prince Edward County, $155,682.

Richmond Hill, $1,137,159, Stratford, $4,687; Toronto, $22,488,907, Vaughan, $3,579,618

Waterloo, $127,505, Waterloo Region, $47,915; Wellington North, $2,200; West Perth, $7,587; Whitby, $266,816; Whitchurch-Stouffville, $109,039;

Wilmot, $10,597; Woolwich, $32,649; York Region, $809,111.