Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Ontario government is providing Haldimand County with up to $4.6 million in provincial disaster recovery funding to help repair roads, bridges, drainage infrastructure and damage along the shoreline. This financial support is being provided through the Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance (MDRA) program.
On October 31, 2019, strong winds combined with existing high-water levels on Lake Erie, resulted in destructive waves and severe flooding in Haldimand County.
“The Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance program is an important source of funding for municipalities who have suffered extensive damage due to unexpected natural disasters,” said Steve Clark, minister of municipal affairs and housing.
Ontario’s MDRA program helps municipalities address extraordinary emergency response costs as well as damage to essential property or infrastructure like bridges, roads and public buildings, as a result of a natural disaster.
Also, the Municipality of Machin will receive up to $173,000 for debris clean up, and repairs to roads and culverts.
In July and September 2019, significant rainfall combined with high water levels in Vermilion Bay resulted in two separate floods in Machin.
“As partners with municipalities, we must ensure that everyone in the province has access to the necessary infrastructure and services they need to maintain their quality of life,” Clark said. “With this funding, Machin will be able to cover the costs of essential repairs to local infrastructure damaged by the floods.”
Eligible expenses under the program may include operating and capital costs that are over and above regular municipal budgets and are directly linked to the disaster. A municipality may be eligible for the program if its disaster-related costs reach a threshold of three per cent of its own-purpose taxation levy.
The government is providing up to $2 million in additional funding to extend the Build Back Better pilot project through 2023, which helps eligible municipalities that have qualified for disaster recovery assistance rebuild infrastructure damaged by extreme weather to a higher standard.
