‘Disaster’ declaration requested — Town seeking Provincial funding to help with storm

January 16, 2014 · 0 Comments

By Bill Rea
Caledon council is asking the Province to have the town declared a disaster area, in light of last month’s ice storm.
Council Tuesday unanimously voted to request the declaration from Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Linda Jeffrey, as a way of facilitating the Town’s eligibility for help under the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program (ODRAP).
As a possible alternative, Jeffrey will be asked to provide another source of emergency funding to address the severe damage sustained in Caledon from the storm.
Mayor Marolyn Morrison said after the meeting that the request had to be in by 4 p.m. Tuesday.
“We need disaster relief,” she said.
Councillor Richard Whitehead pointed out the cost to repair municipal property and infrastructure damaged in the storm has been estimated at $2.9 million.
“That’s a huge burden,” he declared, adding to pay that cost in one year would require a increase of between four and five per cent in the Town’s tax rate.
“This is a natural disaster,” Whitehead observed. He said there are small contingency funds available to deal with the unexpected, but $2.9 million is beyond the Town’s capacity to easily carry, and beyond the capacity of the taxpayers too. He also said this has nothing to do with there being good or bad financial management on the part of the Town or council.
“This tragedy was across the whole municipality,” he said, adding the figure would likely be 10 times higher when damage to private property is factored in. “It’s a catastrophic loss.”
Councillor Richard Paterak pointed out the Town has been resourceful in this situation, using assistance offered by other municipalities. He said a crew of foresters from the City of Ottawa had been at work cleaning up downed trees on roads throughout town, “literally beavering away at the pile of wood.”
Morrison said she has expressed appreciation to Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, as well as the mayors of other municipalities that have offered assistance.
“It is definitely catastrophic,” Councillor Patti Foley observed, pointing out Caledon’s geography has added to the challenge.
Councillor Nick deBoer added people are still dealing with the challenge of clearing snow from sidewalks and roads. He observed ice has almost welded itself to asphalt, and it’s going to take a lot more work to get it off.
Councillor Doug Beffort warned the coming of spring is going to bring more problems, as people address cleaning up their own properties. He said he’s already getting calls about what the Town is going to do to help.

Crews from the Ministry of Natural Resources were hard at work Friday cleaning up trees that fell during the recent ice storm on Longwood Drive in Bolton.
Photo by Bill Rea