Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne speaks to York Region residents

Aurora Banner
January 15, 2014
By Sean Pearce

Response could have been better, faster and more efficient in the days following the December ice storm, but what was done was done for the right reasons, Premier Kathleen Wynne said in an open letter sent Tuesday to York Region citizens.

 In her letter, she thanked those who assisted in the clean-up effort and pledged to review what could have been done differently in the aftermath of the Dec. 22 storm.

But she also took a swipe at critics who were quick to point out faults without offering alternatives.

“To my critics, political and otherwise, who were silent as we worked to provide a co-ordinated recovery and who offered no suggestions as to how to help those in need, I can say only this: I ran for political office to help people,” she said. “It is my primary and overwhelming motivation.”

That desire to help those in need was the genesis of the plan to distribute grocery gift cards, she said in response to criticism of her government’s handling of the situation.

An estimated 7,000 York Region households were without power for more than 48 hours and, therefore, qualified for a grocery gift card. The region received fewer than 400 of the cards valued at $50 each with eligible families receiving $100 worth of assistance, while individuals meeting the criteria were given $50.

The cards became available Jan. 7 and were all spoken for by 1 p.m. that day. By comparison, Peel and Durham regions received about 2,700 and 1,900 cards, respectively.

Rather than a repeat of the situation in Toronto, where the gift card program was marred by long lines, occasional temper flare-ups and questions about if those receiving the assistance truly needed it, York citizens were instead required to call the York Access Contact Centre and will receive their cards by mail. The issues experienced in Toronto prompted complaints of poor judgment on the province’s part from Progressive Conservative and NDP MPPs and led to allegations the government was using the situation as a publicity stunt to score political brownie points.

Despite some of the problems experienced, Ms Wynne hailed it as a “remarkably successful collaboration between government and the private sector”.

As to those who criticized the logistics of the program, Ms Wynne said she refused to accept that doing nothing was better than helping 205 individuals and families in York Region and many more elsewhere. She also expressed hope that those who did not receive a gift card will obtain assistance under other programs.

“Overall, I believe the response was excellent,” she wrote in the 726-word missive.

“I want to thank and congratulate the professionals from Ontario and other provinces who re-connected lines, cleared ice, removed felled trees and branches and kept people safe from downed live wires, as well as those who set up warming centres and expanded our available health care outreach.

“The individual citizens who led response efforts in their communities and helped neighbours, friends and families are all heroes of the moment.”

Yes, there were areas where improvements could have been made, she acknowledged, but declined to cite specifics, pending the results of a formal evaluation.

Ms Wynne describes how she toured different areas affected by the post-storm power outage, while also noting she was in a better position than most as she had a gas stove to cook on despite a lack of electricity. One of the constant anxieties expressed to her, especially toward the end of the power outage, was the fear that some families, those with lower incomes in particular, would not be able to replace food spoiled during the disruption.