Kingston and the Islands MPP Sophie Kiwala on Thursday said that she would be lobbying her government to include the Wolfe Island area in any disaster relief funding that is made available for the entire region.
Heavy rainfall the previous week led to dangerously rising water levels across the region, catching many homeowners off-guard. A good number of policyholders lacked overland flood insurance – a product that several insurers failed to promote – which would have provided covered costly water damages.
“There are many different things that the province needs to consider. I will be advocating, obviously, for the islands,” she said last week.
“I know it is very challenging right now. Even if you are healthy, and you are younger, carrying very heavy sandbags is problematic over a period of time. People are exhausted. People who have been experiencing the challenges the worst are reaching a breaking point.”
There are two types of relief funding: one to support municipalities with their disaster-related costs, and another to help residents, businesses, and non-profit organizations. According to Kiwala, the Provincial Government of Kingston and the Islands decides where to provide support based on the extent of the damage caused by the disaster, the geographic area, the number of people affected, and the total cost of the damage.
The Kingston Whig-Standard reported that eligible recipients to the relief fund can receive a maximum of $250,000, or 90% of their non-insurable costs related to the flooding. Any provincial disaster relief funding, however, is contingent on the affected area being declared a disaster area by the government.
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