The province will pay $190 million to help 32 Ontario municipalities pay for cleanup related to last December’s ice storm.
That announcement was made Wednesday by Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Linda Jeffrey.
What wasn’t announced was exactly which municipalities would be covered by the $190 million, and how much each would receive.
Guelph-Eramosa Township applied for $200,000 in relief funding.
Mayor Chris White tells CTV News he’s optimistic of receiving that amount – which equals about five per cent of the township’s tax revenue – but hasn’t heard if Guelph-Eramosa’s request was approved.
“It’s an expensive storm, and it’s going to take a while to recover,” he says.
“Small municipalities have limited numbers of plows, limited numbers of crews to man those plows, et cetera. Eventually, they run out of hours.”
The towns of Minto and Erin – among the harder-hit portions of southwestern Ontario – also applied for relief.
It’s not believed any other municipalities in Wellington County or Waterloo Region applied, but Woolwich Township officials tell CTV News they enquired and were told they likely would not qualify for help.
The township did declare a state of emergency in December, and says all areas affected by the storm should get a helping hand from the province – regardless of their ability to handle the cleanup themselves.
In total, municipalities across the province applied for $250 million in relief.
Costs covered by the $190 million approved will include warming centres, police overtime and cleanup, but not the replacement of downed trees.
At least two big city leaders hailed the province's move.
"They listened and they responded," Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion said Wednesday in Ottawa. "What more can you ask for?"
Toronto is getting all the assistance it sought from the province, said deputy Toronto mayor Norm Kelly.
"This is not just good news, this is great news," he said. "I'm delighted to hear it."
With files from The Canadian Press
