The province is giving the City of Thunder Bay more than $4 million to cover the costs of the Safe Homes Program.
The city launched the program after the May 28 flood disaster left thousands of city residents with water and sewage in their basements.
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Linda Jeffrey made the announcement at the Victoria Inn Friday morning after meeting with Mayor Keith Hobbs and the Thunder Bay Disaster Relief Committee.
Through the Safe Homes program, the city helped people clean up basements, remove mould and ensure the homes were safe to live in.
“(The city) reacted very quickly to keep the people of Thunder Bay safe and ensure they had a place to live that is clean and safe,” said Jeffrey.
Hobbs was ecstatic upon hearing the news.
“I remember the day when the city manager leaned over to me and said we have a real problem; we have raw sewage in probably 4,000 basements,” Hobbs said, noting the city spent $2.6 million on disinfecting and environmental studies.
“Today the minister has recognized we did make the right decision,” he said. “Thank you isn’t a big enough word.”
Jeffrey also said the province will work with the DRC to review estimates of eligible claims and she expects more money will come from the province.
“My staff have looked at the numbers, thought they were on the low side and we think there is room for movement,” the minister said. “I will expect there will be an adjustment on those numbers.”
While claims are being reviewed, Disaster Relief Fund program manager Kari Chiappetta said interim cheques should be mailed Monday.
And Chiappetta said she’s optimistic they’ll be able to hand out more money in the near future.
“The costs are coming in quite low for Northern Ontario costs. I know (the province) is willing to talk about it. I know the funds are there once we readjust to top them up,” she said.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said it's a good first step, promising Friday to ensure the province follows through.
"(Jeffrey) alluded to that possibly happening and all I can say is we're going to make that allusion a reality," Horwath said. "Maybe it's an illusion of reality. New Democrats are going to keep their feet to the fire."
Horwath went on to say in light of the confusion, it's time the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program got an overhaul.
"There's no doubt in my mind," she said. "I was speaking to people from the (DRC) months and months ago, before Christmas, about the concerns they were already identifying, in terms of the replacement value of various items and where things were placed in the home, as to whether or not you could get replacement costs for that.
"It's ridiculous. It seems to me the program was put in place not so much to actually help people, but to actually make it look like the government was doing something. And that's not good enough."
The funding is part of the $17.2 million the province committed to the community under the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program.
-- With files from Leith Dunick
