GRAVENHURST MEETS TEST, RECEIVES $780,000 FROM ONTARIO’S DISASTER RECOVERY PROGRAM TO COVER TOWN’S ‘EXTRAORDINARY’ 2024 ‘SNOWMAGEDDON’ COSTS
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
GRAVENHURST — Municipalities receive cheques regularly from the province in the form of grants and assistance for various building and services projects.
That help is usually delivered through some kind of government e-Transfer without much fanfare save for maybe a press release.
In other words it’s business as usual.
But this morning’s “good news story” Mayor Heidi Lorenz hoped for was delivered by MPP Graydon Smith under the glare of camera lights, social media and an Ontario Newsroom TV teleprompter.
The last time I saw Smith reading prepared remarks like this was at the groundbreaking of the new Muskoka Lumber Community Centre in Bracebridge with Premier Doug at his side.
Could this be another tele-test for minister Smith, who announced $780,000 to help pay for emergency response and “extraordinary clean-up costs” due to the “snowmageddon” on November 29 and for weeks into December 2024.
Environment Canada and local weather stations estimated between 120 cm and 180 cm of snow fell in Gravenhurst and south Muskoka within about 48 hours.
That, said Lorenz, cost the town $824,000 due to staff overtime, third-party local contract hiring and out of town municipal resources and large equipment rentals — from other municipalities like York Region and Vaughan — which Gravenhurst doesn’t own and had to be brought in for weeks following.
It also allowed the town not to have to rely on its budget reserves to cover “once in a lifetime” costs.
“They told us we would get reimbursed. And we did.”
She said none of the $780,000 will cover related costs from four months later for another major April ice storm, which was on many of the two dozen on hand today as a winter and ice storm passed by today.
Smith teased saying “stay tuned for more on that.”
The latest grant comes from the Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance (MDRA) program and is part of the province’s plan to protect Ontario with investments to help repair important infrastructure when disaster strikes, keeping workers on the job and communities safe, a later provincial release said.
The money helps municipalities pay for emergency response and clean-up costs due to natural disasters. And can be used to repair essential property and infrastructure, such as roads and bridges. Eligible expenses include operating and capital costs that are over and above regular municipal budgets and are directly linked to the disaster.
A municipality could be eligible for the program if its disaster-related costs reach a threshold of three per cent of its own-purpose taxation levy.
“Our government is protecting Ontario by providing financial assistance to municipalities facing unexpected natural disasters,” Smith, the Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP and Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, said in the release.
“While it’s never easy to recover from an extreme weather event, our government is here to support the Town of Gravenhurst with repairs to roads and important public buildings, keeping the community safe and economy growing.”
Said Lorenz: “This funding is extremely welcome as it takes a sizeable financial burden off the municipality. I also want to thank Premier Doug Ford and his government for their support during the significant weather event, and for their ongoing advice and guidance throughout the recovery period. The province has been a true partner.”
In a few words before reading his official remarks, Smith said “Gravenhurst is certainly one of my very favourite places to be” — and that it was a “traumatic event” for the town.
He said the “historic snowfall” closed highways and roads and stranded people in their homes and vehicles along with creating power outages across Muskoka.
“Events like this test our emergency services,” said Smith. “They test the strength of our communities. But what stood out most was the way Gravenhurst rallied. Neighbours helping neighbours, crews working around the clock. Local leadership guiding the response every step of the way. That resilience is what makes this community remarkable.
“So I want to thank the first responders, the municipal staff, the volunteers and so many people who worked tirelessly to keep people safe.
“We also know these efforts came with significant costs. And that’s why I’m here today. To support recovery efforts.”
Having previously been mayor of Bracebridge and gone through a couple of municipal emergencies “it’s not easy,” he said.
He said he sat in on a couple of meetings with Gravenhurst’s emergency management team as MPP to see what the province could immediately provide and to offer any insights from “my past experience.”
“This team didn’t need my help. They had it down — from council to senior leadership. Everybody knew what their role was and what they needed to do to keep people safe.”
They met the test, he said.
“So a big congratulations to all of you. … Everybody handled themselves incredibly well during difficult times. … Your dedication is what makes this community exceptional.”
Proud of first responders
Todd Clapp, the town’s emergency services department head, said he was proud of the town’s response and said everything went according to plan, despite some fire calls and challenges responding along roads that were tree-covered for days.
He said many people during the storm didn’t know who to call, so they called the fire department, which became the flashpoint contact for many emergencies.
He said they used their UTV vehicle with tracks on it to reach many people, but that “there wasn’t a time where we weren’t able to get to them.”
Clapp said their was a “post-incident exercise to come together and talk about what worked well and what didn’t,” so they could prepare for the next event.
Like April’s ice storm, which he said wasn’t as bad because there wasn’t as much snow for emergency personnel to get around to in responding.
📧 Contact, Subscribe, Advertise
Email: news@muskokatoday.com
Subscribe: E-transfer $30 to news@muskokatoday.com
Mail: MuskokaTODAY.com, Box 34, Gravenhurst, ON P1P 1T5
Advertise: Email news@muskokatoday.com for rates
