The Ontario government is funding a new pilot program to aid communities affected by extreme weather damage.
The new Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance (MDRA) program will offer financial assistance to eligible communities that require “extraordinary” emergency response and repair expenses following a natural disaster, a release from the government said.
Ontario has already invested $1 million into the pilot project, which will offer municipalities that qualify for the MDRA funding up to 15% above the estimated cost of rebuilding public infrastructure that has been ravaged by natural disaster.
“This spring we saw the devastating effect of flooding in many Ontario communities,” said Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark in a statement.
Clark added that the fund was created in the hopes of helping municipalities “build back better,” so that the infrastructure can better withstand the weather.
“By not having to rebuild the same washed-out road or bridge again and again, communities will save money over the long-term,” he said.
The government said that communities in Ontario that were affected by spring flooding after March 01, 2019 are eligible for MDRA funding.
Ontario’s latest initiative to mitigate severe weather damage comes after it had established an internal taskforce, whose responsibility is to address provincial flood risk. The group, established last May, recently conducted an online survey to identify ways to improve flood resilience.
