Ontario puts $113M in budget to emergency preparedness
Community organizations and municipalities in Ontario could get a piece of $110 million in funding the province has committed over three years for emergency readiness.
The province must ensure first responders and community organizations have the tools, training, systems, co-ordination and funding to help residents, the government said in the budget released Thursday.
"Failure to plan is preparing to fail," the budget said.
"When people need help, they must be assured everything has been done to prepare for the best response possible."
The money will partly go toward an emergency management preparedness grant to help community organizations buy equipment for emergencies, and toward a new emergency response fund.
That fund would be for municipalities, First Nations and communities to provide urgent relief in the first 24 to 72 hours after an emergency happens.
The government said funding could be used to mobilize skilled volunteers, deploy co-ordination teams, and provide equipment and financial assistance.
Officials said the money could be used in a wide range of emergencies, including floods, wildfires, drought or extreme heat.
The emergency readiness money is also being put toward expanding an emergency preparedness program that involves readiness exercises.
As well, it includes annual funding for communities with nuclear "roles and responsibilities" to help them protect people in the event of a nuclear incident.
Ontario's auditor general found in an audit last year that the province should improve its emergency responses, including better delineating roles between the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Provincial Emergency Management Office, local governments and communities.
"The Natural Resources Ministry needs to conduct timely and robust risk assessments for hazards it is assigned to manage — forest fires; floods; drought/low water; dam failures; emergencies involving crude oil and natural gas exploration and production, natural gas and hydrocarbon underground storage, and salt solution mining; erosion; and soil and bedrock instability," Bonnie Lysyk wrote in her audit.
"It also needs to implement a formal and disciplined approach to reviewing its performance during actual and simulated emergencies in order to identify lessons learned and take corrective actions to avoid recurring issues in future emergency response efforts."
A derecho that swept through Ontario and Quebec last year was the most expensive extreme weather event for Canada in 2022. It caused $1 billion in damages, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
The City of Ottawa complained that it was taking too long for the province to reimburse the municipality for its recovery costs.
The derecho, a line of intense, fast-moving windstorms, originated around Sarnia, Ont., on May 21 and travelled north to Quebec, causing 11 deaths, damaging buildings and temporarily forcing many people from their homes.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Ottawa injects another $36M into fund for those seriously injured or killed by vaccines
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.