RENFREW COUNTY (Pembroke) — Whitewater Region will receive up to $1,110,496.10 in financial support to help with recovery efforts related to flooding that occurred in Spring 2019. This will go toward eligible costs for sandbagging operations, debris disposal, and road repairs. Ontario is providing Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke up to $3,856,721.10 in financial support to help with recovery efforts related to flooding that occurred in spring 2019. The funding is being provided through Ontario’s Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance (MDRA) program, which helps eligible municipalities recover from extraordinary costs after a natural disaster.
“Dealing with unexpected natural disasters is always a challenge. That is why our government is proud to help Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke manage the financial impacts resulting from last year’s flooding,” said John Yakabuski, MPP for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke.Many of the spring 2019 floods were caused by a combination of weather conditions: colder-than-average winter and spring, higher-than-average snowpack, lack of significant winter thaw, rapid snow melt and significant rain events in the spring. In the aftermath of last year’s natural disaster, the government developed Ontario’s Flooding Strategy to better protect people and communities from the effects of flooding in the future by reducing the risk and helping Ontarians better prepare for these types of events.
In response to these devastating floods, the province launched the $1 million Build Back Better pilot project under the MDRA program. Eligible communities are provided with up to 15 per cent above the estimated cost of rebuilding damaged infrastructure to make it more resilient to extreme weather. “The safety of Ontarians is a top priority for our government,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “When natural disasters like last spring’s historic flooding occur, our Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance program and the Build Back Better pilot project play a key role in helping eligible municipalities recover from the past devastation and prepare for the future.”
Petawawa will receive up to $544,210.16 to help with recovery efforts related to flooding that occurred in Spring 2019. Of this amount, $63,980.56 will come from the Build Back Better program to go toward eligible costs for improving public facilities to protect from future flooding.
Laurentian Valley will receive up to $548,210.46 to help with recovery efforts related to flooding that occurred in Spring 2019. Of this amount, $26,754 will come from the Build Back Better program to go toward eligible costs for volunteer supports, sandbagging and clean-up.
Admaston/Bromley will receive up to $461,630.15 to help with recovery efforts related to flooding that occurred in Spring 2019. Of this amount, $36,011.53 will come from the Build Back Better program to go toward eligible costs for increasing the size of the culvert.
Greater Madawaska will receive up to $377,479.10 to help with recovery efforts related to flooding that occurred in Spring 2019. Of this amount, $15,586.50 will come from the Build Back Better Program to go toward eligible costs for upsizing a culvert to prevent future washouts and erosion.
McNab/Braeside will receive up to $362,480 to help with recovery efforts related to flooding that occurred in Spring 2019. Of this amount, $18,848.10 will come from the Build Back Better program to go toward eligible costs for sandbagging operations, waste disposal, and road repairs. Horton will receive up to $250,894.65 to help with recovery efforts related to flooding that occurred in Spring 2019. This will go toward eligible costs for significant emergency response action.
North Algona Wilberforce will receive up to $132,380.64 to help with recovery efforts related to flooding that occurred in Spring 2019. This will go toward eligible costs for sandbagging and road repairs.
Killaloe, Hagarty, and Richards will receive up to $68,939.84 to help with recovery efforts related to flooding that occurred in Spring 2019. This will go toward eligible costs for sandbagging, clean-up, and hauling of flood debris.
Eligible expenses under MDRA may include operating and capital costs that are over and above regular municipal budgets and are directly linked to the disaster. The government also offers assistance under the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians program. To date, the government has provided disaster recovery funding assistance of over $7.5 million to affected individuals, small businesses and not-for-profit organizations as a result of spring 2019 flooding.
