In response to recent flooding throughout Renfrew County, the Ontario government announced on Monday evening that it was notifying the County of Renfrew and the City of Pembroke that it has activated the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians program in these communities.

In a statement, the government said the safety of those affected by this natural disaster is its top priority.

“On behalf of our government, I want to let those individuals who have been affected by the flooding across Eastern Ontario know that we stand with them through this recovery. It pains me to see the damage caused to people’s homes and businesses,” said Steve Clark, minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “The safety of Ontarians is our government’s top priority. I want to thank municipal staff, emergency responders and volunteers for their tremendous response efforts and dedication to helping the community manage this natural disaster.”

Heavy rainfall and snow melt have led to severe flooding across eastern Ontario. Several hundred primary homes and small businesses have been impacted as water levels along the Ottawa, Bonnechere and Madawaska rivers are near or above the historic peaks reached in 2017. Renfrew County and several municipalities within the county have declared a state of emergency including the townships of Whitewater Region, McNab/Braeside, Horton, Laurentian Valley, Greater Madawaska and Petawawa.

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“I want to thank all the first responders and volunteers on the ground who have helped those affected by the flooding,” said John Yakabuski, member of provincial parliament for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke. “While touring some of the affected areas in my riding this past weekend, I saw firsthand the devastating effect of the flooding and it was incredible to see everyone coming together during such a difficult time. I also want to thank Minister Clark for recognizing the situation and acting as quickly as he has to activate the DRAO program for the County of Renfrew and the City of Pembroke.”

The province will continue to assess damage in other parts of eastern Ontario, as well as in central and northeastern Ontario that have been impacted by flooding. Additional disaster assistance activations in other locations are expected in the coming days and weeks.

The disaster assistance program applies to a primary residence and its basic contents, or to a small business, farm or not-for-profit organization. It provides assistance for emergency expenses and the costs to repair or replace essential property following a natural disaster that are not covered by insurance. To find out if they are eligible for assistance, if they are in the activation area and for next steps, individuals, small businesses, farms and not-for-profit organizations should review the map and program guidelines available at ontario.ca/DisasterAssistance, or call 1-844-780-8925 or email disasterassistance@ontario.ca after speaking with their private insurance provider.

Residents will have until August 27, 2019 to apply for assistance through the program.