Twenty-two small municipalities that will be impacted by significant weather events in 2022 will receive $5.5 million from the government of Ontario. The clearing of fallen trees and other debris, as well as forest regeneration to safeguard against future weather hazards like forest fires, will be aided by funding.
Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry Graydon Smith stated, “We heard from small municipalities hardest hit by extreme weather last year that they need support to address concerns about public safety.” We are making sure that municipalities can recover from these weather events and build a strong Ontario with today’s announcement.
In 2022, severe weather events ravaged portions of southern and eastern Ontario, causing damage to public roads, forest access roads, and thousands of hectares of Crown and private forests as well as a damaging thunderstorm in May and a tornado in July.
The Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Ric Bresee, stated, “This funding will help restore these communities – providing peace of mind for their residents and protecting the well-being of their forests.” Together, they endured the experience of a catastrophic event on their own doorstep, and we’re making a move to guarantee their future wellbeing.”
Municipalities that sought financial assistance to assist with clean-up and forest regeneration efforts will receive the funding one-time.
Don DeGenova, the mayor of Tweed, stated, “Our residents have been living under an umbrella of fear since the tornado on July 24th, worrying about potential forest fires and flooding.” Tweed Civil Chamber and staff worked energetically with the territory for help for those inhabitants. That call has been answered today by Minister Smith and our MPP, Ric Bresee. We are extremely grateful for this support, which will help alleviate some of our concerns.
