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Some Ottawans living in parts of the city hit hard by powerful Canada Day storms are disappointed they’re not yet eligible for financial assistance from the province.
On Friday, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing outlined the area of Ottawa that would be eligible for the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) program, which can reimburse people for cleanup costs, repairing or replacing essential property, and basic emergency expenses.
A coverage map released in tandem with Friday’s announcement shows that paople in the area around Graham Creek and Stillwater Creek will receive aid.
But residents like Merv Sullivan say many areas that were battered by the downpour — which dumped more than 150 millimetres of rain in some parts of the city and caused thousands of basements to flood — have been left out.
Sullivan has lived in his Crystal Beach-area home for 55 years. Flooding totaled his basement, uprooting heavy appliances like his freezer and his water heater.
He said he doesn’t understand why Crystal Beach isn’t included in the province’s map.
“I have to tell you, the disaster did not stop at the border of Crystal Beach. That’s not the way it worked,” Sullivan said. “This was one of the worst streets in terms of [the storm’s] effect.”
The Ontario government released this map on Friday, with the yellow portion showing the part of Ottawa that would be eligible for DRAO funding. (Government of Ontario)
Paul Maloney lives up the street from Sullivan and was hit with roughly a metre of water in his basement.
He said he hopes the province decides to revise the DRAO activation area to include the neighbourhood.
“Sometimes looking at a paper map doesn’t really give you the boots-on-the-ground story. And I think that’s what we found here. And that’s why this little bubble of humanity that we call Crystal Beach has been left off the map,” he said.
CBC reached out to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for more information but did not hear back by deadline.
Merv Sullivan stands in the wrecked garage of his home in Crystal Beach, which was flooded by about a metre of water on Canada Day. (Nathan Fung/CBC)Anger from city councillors
City councillors who represent areas that were hit by flooding but weren’t included in the initial DRAO rollout have also voiced their concerns.
In a video posted to social media, Bay ward Coun. Theresa Kavanagh, whose ward includes Crystal Beach, said she was “very angry” about the omission.
“I think this is a huge mistake on the part of the Ontario government, and I think they’d better rethink it. These are people that need help,” she said.
The coverage area also excluded parts of Coun. Laine Johnson’s College ward.
Johnson said she’s been on the phone with the province, trying to get an explanation as to how officials determined which areas to include.
“When your funding program is called the Disaster [Recovery] Assistance fund, people need to understand very well why their disaster does not deserve that relief,” she said.