The Ontario government is providing up to $2 million in additional funding to extend the Build Back Better pilot project through 2023, and help eligible municipalities rebuild infrastructure that was damaged by extreme weather.
The money comes from is Ontario’s Municipal Recovery Assistance (MDRA) program and will better protect communities from the impacts of natural disasters.
“As we approach the spring flooding season, it is important that we extend the Build Back Better pilot to help Ontario’s municipalities prevent future damage to their roads and bridges,” said Steve Clark, minister of municipal affairs and housing. “This funding will help keep individuals and families safe and better prepare municipalities for extreme weather events.”
Municipalities are eligible to receive up to 15 per cent above the estimated cost of rebuilding damaged infrastructure to make it more resilient to extreme weather. They can use the additional funding to make improvements such as raising roads to ensure better overland flow of water, improving the columns or footings of a bridge, or enlarging the size of ditches and catch basins to increase the capacity to hold water.
In 2019, Ontario invested $1 million to launch the Build Back Better pilot project for one year in response to the devastating spring floods that impacted communities across the province.
Eligible expenses under the MDRA program may include operating and capital costs that are over and above regular municipal budgets and are directly linked to the disaster.