Funding Announcement for Four Flooding Mitigation and Community Resiliency Projects (DMAF)

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

Toronto, Ontario
Tuesday, March 26^th, 2019

Check Against Delivery

Good afternoon. Thank you for that kind introduction, Marco [Mendicino, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities]. I am very pleased to be with you all today.

I would like to begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Métis, and the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation.

I’m very happy to be in the great city of Toronto again – Canada’s beautiful and elegant Metropolis. It is always a pleasure being here!

Investing in infrastructure increases the quality of life of residents and offers employment to thousands of people working in construction.

Investments in infrastructure create good, well-paying middle class jobs, and set the stage for long-term economic growth that benefits everyone.

They make our communities better places to live, and provide us with the roads, public transit, energy systems, water treatment facilities, and recreational spaces we need now and into the future.

Municipalities know best what their communities need. That’s why we’re taking action through Budget 2019 to provide more support to municipalities to address their local infrastructure priorities.

Across Canada, a $2.2 billion boost to the federal Gas Tax Fund will flow directly to municipalities.

That means Ontario communities will have immediate access to new funding to address their most pressing infrastructure needs… from repairing roads, to improving drinking water to building new recreational facilities.

This funding boost will offer immediate help to the communities who need it most while laying the groundwork for sustained economic growth that will benefit Canada’s middle class and those working hard to join it. 

Investing in infrastructure is good for Canada and good for Ontario.  

Reliable infrastructure also helps us address an important challenge that affects all Canadians: climate change.   

We are no longer just talking about preventing climate change, but rather about how we need to adapt to this sad and complex new reality.  

Climate change is having a dramatic impact on Canadian communities across the country. Floods, wildfires, weather patterns and winter storms are getting worse – and more frequent.

The effects of these extreme weather events don’t go away overnight.

All of that takes a major toll on families, with costs to rebuild, negative impacts on our mental and physical health, and on our communities.

When tides rise, rivers crest and fires burn, we see the havoc nature can wreak.

In those times, we also see the best in each other and in the communities we call home.

We pitch in any way that we can… with food, water, sandbags, shelter and other support.

We are here to support you today so your tomorrow is able to withstand what the future brings.

Planning ahead for these types of events makes us better equipped to withstand the damage of climate change and extreme weather. It is not only the right thing to do, but it’s the smart thing to do.

We can no longer stand by and wait.

Here in the Greater Toronto Area, flooding is one of the biggest concerns and comes at a tremendous cost.

One need only be reminded of the August 2018 flood that paralyzed the subway service between Finch West and Wilson stations and caused a streetcar to be submerged on King Street West. The storm also caused flooding across Toronto and resulted in a widespread power outage.

Toronto has a history of dealing with incredible natural disasters. When we look back to 1954, the year Hurricane Hazel reached the city, it left in its wake over $137 million in damage ($1.3 billion in today’s dollars) and 81 deaths.

Flooding not only poses a threat to our homes, our environment and our businesses, but to our essential resources, like drinking water, which can easily become contaminated when our sewer systems are not up to par.

These events demonstrate, more than ever, that it is important to take action right now.  

That’s why today I want you to know we are your partners in mitigating the risk of future flooding, partners in building stronger communities.

Today I am pleased to announce that we are contributing over $150 million to four projects in York-Durham, Markham, Vaughan and Midtown Toronto.

These investments will help mitigate flooding and create more resilient communities in the GTA.

In York-Durham, Markham and Vaughan, these communities have grown tremendously over the past decades. Three projects will enhance and upgrade stormwater and sewage infrastructure, which is important to residents’ safety and quality of life.

We all know the financial and emotional hardship associated with property damage caused by flooding. Protecting public health and the environment require that we make investments to accommodate the current population levels and expected growth in these municipalities.

Finally, the construction of a Midtown Relief Storm Sewer will protect buildings from flooding and sewer backup and ensure the well-being and comfort of more than 2,000 residents in the area.

Our support for these important projects will not only help the communities better manage storm water in times of heavy rainfall, but provide safe drinking water through extreme weather events.

One of the most crushing realities of extreme weather and climate change is the damage it leaves behind and the services it rips from communities. Clean water should have the best possible protections in place.

It is crucial to act now in order to build a sustainable future for our communities.

With support for projects like the ones we’re announcing today, we will make sure they can withstand future natural disasters and thrive for generations to come.

So to conclude, let’s:

• Seize the opportunity
• Be ambitious; and
• Work together to build modern, resilient, and green infrastructure for the 21^st century.

Thank you.