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In any case, of course I feel badly for those who were hard-hit by the ice storm.

Read more form Christie Blatchford …

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A statement from the mayor’s office said Mr. Ford had called for a special city council meeting, during which councillors would discuss requesting disaster compensation from the province.

The move comes amid revelations that efforts to restore power to the city are expected to cost up to $10-million, Toronto Hydro CEO Anthony Haines said Sunday. He would not rule out the possibility that ratepayers would be called on to foot the bill.

Officials confirmed Sunday that no municipalities affected by the ice storm have formally requested help from the province’s Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program (ODRAP) – a fund used when damage is so extensive that the city could not feasibly pay for it alone.

From the outset of the storm, which blanketed the region in a thick layer of ice, Mayor Ford has been firm in his decision to refrain from declaring a state of emergency — a decision he said would not impact the city’s eligibility for disaster relief.

Mr. Ford called on council to “recognize the urgency” when debating whether to formally request the provincial funding during the meeting, which was requested for Jan. 10.

A spokesman for Minister of Municipal Affairs Linda Jeffrey would not comment on whether Toronto could be considered eligible for provincial assistance.

“[To be eligible,] Toronto can’t be able to afford to fix the damage its own,” Mike Maka said, adding that the requested amount of funding would likely need to be in the millions of dollars.