City councillors and local MPPs in Ottawa have penned an open letter requesting increased support from the provincial government after last week’s unprecedented rainstorm.
A series of thunderstorms hit Ottawa on July 1, bringing 118 mm of rain, which led to the cancellation of Canada Day festivities and flooded over 3,200 basements, according to city officials.
Local MPPs Tyler Watt, Karen Mc Crimmon, Stephen Blais, Lucille Collard, and John Fraser joined city councillors Laine Johnson, Wilson Lo, David Hill, and Sean Devine in urging the Ontario government to classify the hardest-hit areas under the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) program.
The DRAO program allows residents and small businesses to request financial help for recovery following a natural disaster. It’s only available when activated by the government for a certain area where a “sudden, unexpected natural disaster causes costly and widespread damage.”
Eligible claimants can receive up to $250,000, according to information on the Ontario government’s website.
“Residents have suffered extensive damage to homes, businesses, and personal property. Many are facing significant repair costs at a time when families are already struggling with the rising cost of living,” the letter reads.
“They should not be expected to bear the financial burden of this disaster on their own.”
The letter also asks for the province to send in a Provincial Disaster Assessment Team to see if Ottawa qualifies for assistance through this program.
Ottawa has reached out to the Ontario government for comment.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe mentioned he spoke with Premier Doug Ford about support for residents affected by flooding.
“The Premier and his team have agreed to provide whatever support they can to help our city and affected residents recover from the storm. We will have more details in the coming days,” Sutcliffe said on social media Friday.
On Sunday, Sutcliffe announced that households affected by flooding could drop off garbage free of charge at Trail Road Landfill if they bring proof of their basement flooding service request along with ID confirming their address.
He added that those who’ve already disposed of garbage at that site can submit a reimbursement request.
Meanwhile, both residents and city crews continue cleaning up fallen trees and removing items damaged by water in basements.
Around 40,000 people lost power during the storm; however, most customers have had their power restored. Hydro Ottawa reports that crews are still addressing isolated outages while completing electrical safety checks.
Starting Monday, residents in Bay, College, and Knoxdale-Merivale will be able to dispose of debris related to the storm as well as some construction materials.
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