TOWNS, TOWNSHIPS GET $4.1 MILLION FROM PROVINCE FOR COVID COSTS
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
PARRY SOUND-MUSKOKA — While small businesses and individuals struggle with COVID, the province is providing more than $4.1 million to help municipalities across Parry Sound-Muskoka deal with pandemic-related operating costs.
The money isn’t meant to hand out individually to residents or businesses.
They say in a release this afternoon that the “new financial relief” will help ensure the delivery of critical services during the pandemic and keep capital projects on track.
It is part of the province’s $500 million investment to help ensure the stability of Ontario’s 444 municipalities as they plan for the year ahead.
The funding is being prioritized to help municipalities in health units with the highest COVID-19 case numbers and can be used for things like personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and by-law enforcement.
“Our municipalities have been clear that they need ongoing operating funding in 2021,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
The release says the money is in addition to the $1.39 billion in operating funding municipalities already get through the joint federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement.
The second phase of the Safe Restart Agreement was allocated to all Ontario municipalities in December, to ensure that no community entered 2021 facing an operating deficit from 2020.
In Parry Sound-Muskoka the following municipalities are receiving the following amounts totaling $4,175,384:
| Armour Township | $43,033 |
| Bracebridge | $353,594 |
| Burk’s Falls | $26,662 |
| Carling | $54,275 |
| Georgian Bay Township | $223,522 |
| Gravenhurst | $334,317 |
| Huntsville | $423,324 |
| Joly Township | $21,234 |
| Kearney | $43,404 |
| Lake of Bays | $191,844 |
| Machar Township | $24.902 |
| Magnetawan | $62,725 |
| McDougall | $59,303 |
| McKellar | $50,859 |
| McMurrich/Monteith | $33,812 |
| Muskoka | $1,280,480 |
| Muskoka Lakes | $394,119 |
| Parry Sound | $95,557 |
| Perry | $52,625 |
| Ryerson | $28,733 |
| Seguin | $152,921 |
| South River | $26,597 |
| Strong | $36,734 |
| Sundridge | $26,161 |
| The Archipelago | $101,251 |
| Whitestone | $58,273 |
Municipalities will get the funding in two equal instalments on or before May 1 and Nov. 1, 2021.
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