City of Ottawa officials are calling on the province to expand the coverage area for disaster assistance after the Canada Day flash floods. Thunderstorms tore through the capital on July 1, dumping up to 167 mm of rain and flooding thousands of properties, with basement flooding reports now topping 6,600, the city says.
The province last week launched the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians (DRAO) program, designed to help homeowners in designated areas restore damaged property where losses fall outside what standard home insurance typically covers - most Ontario home policies exclude overland flooding unless a specific endorsement was purchased, which is precisely the gap DRAO is meant to fill. But the initial coverage area left out several flooded neighbourhoods, including Centrepointe, Crystal Beach and Parkwood Hills. The initial activation was triggered where Graham Creek and Stillwater Creek overflowed their banks, causing overland flooding damage - yet Kanata North, despite recording the highest concentration of storm-related service requests to the city, was excluded from the coverage area.
Ottawa paramedic Chief Pierre Poirier said that when the city gave its map to the province, officials didn't understand "the full scope" of the storm, leaving some areas without coverage. Michael Minzak, a spokesperson for Ontario's minister of municipal affairs and housing, said the activation area was established using information provided by the city.
Since then, the province has softened its position. Ontario says it is working with the City of Ottawa to potentially expand eligibility for DRAO, after an initial map issued by the province left several affected communities off the coverage area. The city has formally submitted its case: Ward 9 Councillor Sean Devine said the city has formally requested that the province expand the designated DRAO area and has submitted detailed information on flood impacts across Ottawa, including more than 6,400 flooded basements, damage mapping and ongoing reports from affected residents.
Crystal Beach resident Paul Maloney, whose basement took on roughly a metre of water, said he hopes the province revises the boundaries. "Sometimes looking at a paper map doesn't really give you the boots-on-the-ground story," he said.
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he has written to the province to review DRAO's criteria to be more lenient, noting payments from the program have historically been small compared to insurance payments. "I have been advocating to the province from the beginning to create a wider area and not to make a distinction between the different ways people have been affected by this one major disaster," he said.
While DRAO covers overland flooding, it generally does not cover sewer backups, except for low-income residents. Approved homeowners, small businesses, farms and non-profits can receive up to $250,000.
Poirier said roughly 3.8 million kilograms of garbage have now been removed from affected areas. Infrastructure services director Carina Duclos said staff will review whether neighbourhood-specific infrastructure contributed to flooding in certain parts of the city.
Sutcliffe encouraged flood victims to access a $1,000 compassionate rent grant for owners and tenants flooded by a sewer surcharge event; the city has received more than 1,600 applications, with more than half approved. Residents significantly affected can also apply for property tax relief.
The Canadian Red Cross said 300 households have sought support, a figure it expects to double. Orléans MPP Stephen Blais cautioned that even approved DRAO claims could take "months or even a year" to pay out, though he called the program effective for losses insurance does not cover.
