Ontario doles out $5.5M to small communities for storm clean up, recovery

A utility worker speaks to a motorist remaining in their vehicle, as crews work to make sure they can leaves safely, after power lines and utility poles came down onto the roadway during a major storm, on Merivale Road in Ottawa, on Saturday, May 21, 2022. (Justin Tang/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Nearly two dozen small municipalities in Ontario will share $5.5 million to help with recovering from extreme weather.

Natural Resources and Forestry Minister Graydon Smith announced Monday that the funding will help 22 small municipalities with clearing downed trees and other debris as well as forest regeneration.

Don DeGenova, mayor of Tweed, in eastern Ontario, says residents have been living "under an umbrella of fear" since a July 24 tornado and he is grateful for the funding.

The government says the money is being provided on a one-time basis for municipalities that asked for help with clean up and forest regeneration efforts.

The July tornado touched down in eastern Ontario, tearing roofs from houses, downing trees onto major roadways and toppling hydro lines serving tens of thousands of customers.

In May, a derecho -- a line of intense, fast-moving windstorms -- swept through Ontario and Quebec, starting around Sarnia, Ont., damaging buildings and temporarily forcing many people from their homes.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 27, 2023.