Funding will help cover costs of emergency response
Chisholm – The Ontario government is providing the Township of Chisholm with $88,000 in provincial disaster recovery funding to help cover emergency response costs related to a wildfire. This financial support is being provided through the Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance (MDRA) program.
On May 12, 2022, the Township of Chisholm experienced a wildfire which started unexpectedly and spread quickly. The fire burned over 30 hectares of land and required fire suppression services beyond the municipality’s capabilities to protect residents, private property and municipal property. The Chisholm Fire Chief has stated that this is the worst wildfire the township has seen in more than 25 years.
“I want to thank the emergency responders that worked day and night to stop the spread of this fire and protect the surrounding communities,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “This funding will help Chisholm recover from the significant emergency response costs they faced related to the worst wildfire the township has seen in 25 years.”
Ontario’s MDRA program helps municipalities address extraordinary emergency response costs as well as damage to essential property or infrastructure like bridges, roads and public buildings, as a result of a natural disaster.
Quick Facts
- Eligible expenses under the program may include operating and capital costs that are over and above regular municipal budgets and are directly linked to the disaster.
- A municipality may be eligible for the program if its disaster-related costs reach a threshold of three per cent of its own-purpose taxation levy.