Dear Head of Council:
The safety of the people of Ontario is a priority for our government and my ministry specifically. Many municipalities across the province have experienced damaging floods this spring and I want to thank the volunteers, first responders and all those on the ground who have been supporting displaced residents and helping with emergency response, clean-up and recovery.
As you know, the Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance program (MDRA) assists qualifying municipalities to recover from a natural disaster. In the Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan, our government committed to reviewing MDRA to encourage municipalities to incorporate climate resilience improvements when rebuilding damaged property or infrastructure after a natural disaster. Through the Flood Mitigation Task Force announced in May 2019, we reaffirmed that commitment. We recognize that municipalities need to rebuild local infrastructure to better withstand extreme weather.
Today, I am pleased to inform you that our government is funding a new $1 million pilot project through MDRA to help municipalities make improvements when repairing or rebuilding after a natural disaster. With this funding, municipalities may be eligible to receive additional funding of up to 15 per cent, over and above the cost of repairs to pre-disaster condition, to make climate resilience improvements. Damage from recent flooding that occurred after March 1, 2019 may be eligible for the enhanced funding.
In the coming days, Assistant Deputy Minister Marcia Wallace will be writing to your Chief Administrative Officer and/or Clerk to provide more information about the climate resilience incentive.
Thank you once again for your continued efforts as your municipality recovers from spring flooding. I look forward to continuing to work together to make our communities more resilient to extreme weather.
Sincerely,
Steve Clark, Minister
