BRACEBRIDGE, ON – Following historic flooding in the region, Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark announced funding to help prevent future damage to infrastructure.
The announcement was made at the Bracebridge Wharf with the north branch of the Muskoka River as a backdrop, where raging water had washed away portions of concrete near the dam.
Clark, who was flanked by Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Norm Miller and Bracebridge Mayor Graydon Smith, said the funding he was introducing was on top of existing funding available to municipalities through the Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance (MDRA) fund.
“This spring we saw the devastating effect of flooding in many Ontario communities,” Clark said. “We want to help municipalities build back better to flood-damaged roads, bridges and other infrastructure to a higher standard, so it can better withstand extreme weather and we know that some municipalities have limited financial resources to improve local infrastructure. By not having to rebuild the same washed-out road or bridge again and again, communities will save money over the long-term.”
The government pilot project is providing $1 million in funding on top of the existing MDRA fund. The province will provide municipalities that qualify for MDRA funding with up to 15 per cent above the estimated cost of rebuilding damaged public infrastructure so that communities can make their infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather.
Clark praised the advocacy of Miller in getting the interests and concerns of Muskoka on the provincial radar when it came to getting additional assistance in the rebuilding phase following a month of high water in the spring.
Bracebridge Mayor Graydon Smith said he was pleased about the announcement noting for a smaller municipality every bit counts.
“I think all the voices in this community in terms of leadership spoke with one voice that we need more help when it comes to disaster relief funding when it comes to the municipal side and the government has listened,” he said.
Smith doesn’t know what amount of funding the town might apply for but used an example of a rebuilding project that would cost the town $500,000. The new pilot would provide 15 per cent funding to a total of $75,000.
“That goes a long way into doing a lot of work,” he said.
Examples of projects that may qualify for enhanced rebuilding include Santa’s Village Road, Fraserburgh Road and Beaumont Drive. The idea is to get roads constructed with enough height that they won’t flood in the future, and in such a way that washouts are less likely to occur.
