Mapleton and Minto will be receiving a yet-to-be determined amount of provincial assistance for damage caused by flooding last summer.
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs announced on April 4 that Ontario is providing financial support through the Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance (MDRA) program to help the two Wellington County municipalities with recovery efforts for flood damage last year.
A major rainfall on June 22 and 23 caused widespread flooding throughout midwestern Ontario, with Minto and Mapleton particularly hard hit.
The ministry says the funds will help with culvert and road repairs, and rebuilding shoreline infrastructure in Mapleton. Under the program, Mapleton may be eligible for as much as $359,601 in provincial funding, while up to $260,771 may be available to Minto.
Minto CAO Bill White said the town is working with ministry staff to determine how much funding the municipality will ultimately receive.
“What we have been told is that the minister has activated the program for Minto and others, the town is eligible for funding up to $260,771 and that the London Ministry Office will be working with town staff to ‘finalize a grant agreement,” White stated in an email.
The CAO explained the agreement will likely stipulate how the town can collect funding for the actual cost of such things as emergency road repairs, waste pick up and emergency responders.
He said treasurer Gordon Duff and other town staff have been providing a lot of information to the ministry on the town’s actual costs and “we are looking forward to receiving the agreement and for the funds to be disbursed.”
The MDRA program helps municipalities address extraordinary emergency response costs and damage to essential property or infrastructure like bridges, roads and public buildings, as a result of a natural disaster.
Funding is provided to eligible municipalities using a cost-sharing formula. A municipality may be eligible under the MDRA program if its disaster-related costs reach a threshold of three per cent of its own-purpose taxation levy.
“Helping communities recover after natural disasters is a priority for our government,” said Municipal Affairs Minister Bill Mauro.
