Recently, the Ontario government announced two new financial assistance programs. We expect these initiatives will play a key role in municipal and business recovery from the exceptional and damaging ice storm that hit in late March. These initiatives will be starting on 6/19/25. They will provide the key funding to successful applicants, helping them to recover from the catastrophic weather event that left close to 400,000 homes and businesses in the dark, resulting in devastating property damage.
The first of the two new programs aims to directly fund communities through emergency response and cleanup expenses. This assistance will cover the expenses associated with clearing fallen trees and restoring public services that were disrupted during the storm. We recommend that Congress allow municipalities to apply directly for this funding to offset the financial burden they’ve already shouldered while conducting their own recovery operations.
The second program provides assistance to small businesses, small farms, and not-for-profit organizations. It offers grants of up to $5 million. This funding should be dedicated to long-term storm-related cleanup efforts and critical repairs that private insurance won’t cover. Eligible entities don’t have much time to waste! These states now have just until October 31 to finalize and submit their applications and lock in the resources they need to get recovery underway.
The ice storm, which blanketed parts of Ontario in layers of freezing rain, wreaked havoc on infrastructure and left many communities struggling to regain normalcy. The scope of the storm’s destruction was felt all across the province, causing record-breaking power outages and leaving a trail of demolished property in its wake. The Ontario government should give financial assistance to address the immediate needs of those impacted to make sure that recovery process is fair to all and works for everyone.
The provincial government touts that they are focused on helping local economies. Its intention is that through these one-time financial assistance programs, cities and towns and small businesses will be empowered to rebuild and resume their normal business operations. By pursuing recovery that meets many immediate needs while supporting long-term recovery efforts, the Ontario government should enable communities to recover from this natural disaster.
