PETERBOROUGH, July 15, 2005 -- The Honourable Peter Adams, Member of Parliament for Peterborough, on behalf of Anne McLellan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, announced today an initial payment of $5,000,000 to the Province of Ontario under the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA). This announcement, made with Jeff Leal, Member of Provincial Parliament for Peterborough and Sylvia Sutherland, Mayor of Peterborough, marks the one-year anniversary since the flood.
“On behalf of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, I am pleased to provide the Province of Ontario with this funding, to help with the costs of recovery and reconstruction following the damages caused by this flood,” said Adams. “Under the DFAA, the Government of Canada works with our provincial partners to help communities recover from the devastating effects of natural disasters, including repairing critical infrastructure.”
In July 2004, severe flooding in several municipalities in the Peterborough area caused extensive damage to both private property and public infrastructure.
“This funding from the federal government supports the Ontario government’s commitment to give communities the tools they need to grow strong and prosperous,” said Leal, attending on behalf of John Gerretsen, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “I commend the extraordinary efforts of the municipal councils, the Peterborough Area Disaster Relief Committee, and provincial and municipal staff in helping Peterborough recover from the flood.”
“We are very grateful to the federal government for its contribution as we do the necessary repairs and reconstruction necessitated by the flood,” said Mayor Sutherland. “This will assist in the rebuilding of our critical infrastructure.”
Once all the necessary repairs to infrastructure are completed and provincial claims finalized, the province submits its final claim for reimbursement under the DFAA to Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada. Since the inception of the DFAA in 1970, the Government of Canada has provided more than $1.6 billion in disaster assistance funding to provinces and territories, of which $129 million has been distributed to the Province of Ontario.
Through the DFAA, the Government of Canada contributes to the coverage of costs of a disaster or an emergency only after a provincial or territorial government has requested federal financial assistance, in accordance with DFAA guidelines. All claims must be audited by Consulting and Audit Canada.
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Information:
Cathy Brunger
Office of Peter Adams, MP
(705) 745-2108
Media Relations
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
(416) 585-7066
Media Relations
Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada
(613) 991-0657
