Since December 21st our Government, under the leadership of Premier Wynne has been actively working to help those most affected by the ice storm. The Ministries of Health, Community and Social Services, Community Safety and Correctional Services, Natural Resources, and Transportation have been working closely with officials on the ground and providing resources and support to those in need.
Unplanned costs incurred as a result of an emergency which are not covered by insurance or part of Oakville’s normal operating budget, fall into provincial responsibility. I have personally met with Mayor Burton to discuss these concerns for Oakville.
The Town of Oakville has applied for the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program (ODRAP). This program provides financial assistance following natural disasters. This does not provide full cost recovery, though is to help restore essential property to pre-disaster condition. ODRAP is available both in a public and private component, including: municipalities, homeowners, farmers, small businesses and non-profit organizations.
On Friday January 17th the Minister of Municipal Housing and Affairs, Minister Jeffery, had a productive meeting with GTA mayors and regional chairs about their ODRAP applications. We are continuing to work together to help support ice storm recovery efforts.
With natural disasters we all have a role to play. Municipalities play the greatest role for themselves, though as a province we must be able to assist in unforeseeable cases. A Provincial Disaster Assistance Team was out to assess Oakville on Friday January 17th. I will continue to work with Premier Wynne, Minister Jeffery and Mayor Burton to ensure that Oakville is provided with the resources necessary to recover from the ice storm.
Minister Jeffery has written to the Federal Government seeking assistance and inviting them to become engaged in the assessments process.