Province to help cover ice storm recovery costs

Vaughan Weekly
March 5, 2014  
By Angela Gismondi

Vaughan will be receiving financial assistance from the provincial government to help cover the cost of the damage caused by the December ice storm.

Last Wednesday, Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing announced the Liberal government will be helping municipalities affected by the storm by working with the federal government to fund 100 per cent of their eligible recovery costs through a one-time Ice Storm Assistance Program.

The program details are still being finalized, but eligible costs may be as much as $190 million based on estimates from municipalities. Since municipalities are still in the process of assessing damage, it’s too early to provide an exact breakdown of what each municipality will be getting. It is anticipated that the program would cover costs related to the immediate emergency response, such as setting up warming centres, and the subsequent cleanup of debris necessary to protect public safety.

As many municipalities continue to clean up, the province is working with them to assess the damage and determine the full extent of ice storm related costs.

A group of Greater Toronto Area (GTA) mayors gathered in Mississauga recently to publicly request that the provincial and federal governments provide financial assistance to municipalities to help pay for cleanup and repair costs. The GTA mayors asked that they receive a response by March 1.

Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua was among the group of mayors who requested assistance. In Vaughan, the damage is estimated at $21 million.  About 18,900 trees were damaged and 13,600 trees require replacement.

“I am proud to be part of the process that resulted in the province taking municipalities seriously on the matter,” said Bevilacqua, adding Vaughan council also unanimously passed a resolution to request disaster relief funding. Thirty two councils in Ontario passed similar resolutions requesting provincial assistance.

Costs incurred by the province for a natural disaster of this size qualify for federal government assistance under the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements program. Ontario intends to seek federal reimbursement for costs under this program.

While Bevilacqua welcomed the funding announcement from the Province, he hopes the federal government will step up and do the same. The federal government has not committed to providing funding yet.

“I look forward to getting disaster relief funding from the federal government as well,” said Bevilacqua. “They need to step up. I expect the federal government will do its part to help the municipalities of Ontario, including the City of Vaughan.”

Bevilacqua pointed out the government has previously supported municipalities with one-time programs, including tornado assistance  and the 1998 ice storm assistance program in Quebec. He said the province made the right decision.

“I think it’s the responsible thing to do,” said Bevilacqua. “These are extreme times and they require extreme measures.”

Vaughan MPP Steven Del Duca said the government understands the significant damage municipalities incurred as a result of the ice storm.

“We’re going to keep working with affected municipalities and the federal government to provide the kind of support these communities need,” said Del Duca. “We still have a lot of work to do.”

Conservative Thornhill MPP Gila Martow said a contingency fund is needed in case of emergencies and natural disasters.

“What the recent ice storm demonstrated is the importance of contingency funds for inevitable future emergencies,” said Martow. “All levels of government must ensure their budgets provide for this.”

Del Duca said the province is currently undergoing a general review of how to respond to emergencies and natural disasters. The report is expected to come forward in the spring.