Hi neighbours,
I hope you’re all holding up in the aftermath of last week’s storm. Like many of you, I’m feeling the emotional and physical toll of dealing with basement flooding, sorting through family photographs and memorabilia, moving furniture, and navigating insurance claims and clean up. For a lot of us, it’s been a very difficult start to the summer season.
While I’m tired, I’ve also found strength and inspiration in seeing how neighbours are out supporting each other, looking out for seniors and vulnerable residents, and lending a hand to help in any way they can. I wanted to share some resources my office has pulled together, and to reiterate that we are here to help. Please reach out to us if you need assistance or are looking for the appropriate city service to connect with.
Municipal Programs and Grants:
- Compassionate Grant program: The Compassionate Grant provides financial assistance to qualified City of Ottawa property owners and tenants affected by flooding due to a sewer surcharge event. Visit the City of Ottawa website for more information.
- Residential Protective Plumbing program: The Residential Protective Plumbing program provides financial assistance to qualified City of Ottawa property owners for the installation of protective plumbing devices such as sump pumps and storm and sanitary backwater valves. Visit the City of Ottawa website for more information.
Provincial Funding- Disaster Recovery Assistance (DRAO): At a press conference on July 6, the Mayor said discussions continue with the province about activating the DRAO for flood-impacted residents in Ottawa. My office will share updates on this program as soon as we receive any.
Supporting seniors and vulnerable residents:
We’ve been hearing from residents with concerns for seniors and other vulnerable residents in their communities. If you require assistance with flood clean up, or would like the city to check on a neighbour to see how they’re doing, please send an email to my office (bayward@ottawa.ca), and we’ll coordinate a wellness check through Ottawa Fire Services and the Emergency Management Office. These city teams are working on connecting residents who need help with services that can provide it.
Additional Waste Collection:
I want to share my thanks to the City’s hard working solid waste team who arranged for additional garbage collections throughout Bay Ward this week. There are 2 crews working right now: The storm-related special collection crew, and the regular collection crew. Regular collections are picking up 3 bags of garbage (so they can get to every residence in Bay Ward in one day), and the special collection crew will continue to move through impacted neighbourhoods this week, and in the weeks to follow to get all of the storm-related waste. You can continue to leave the bags on the curb, and the special collection crew will get to it. Thanks for your patience.
Here’s a reminder of what’s currently in place to support clean up:
- The three-item garbage limit has been waived for eligible storm-related waste.
- Unlimited green bin collection is available, with additional organic waste accepted in clearly labelled bags.Residents may place up to two containers of construction and demolition material at the curb. Larger quantities should be managed through their insurance provider or contractor whenever possible.
- Eligible construction and demolition materials may also be disposed of free of charge at the Trail Waste Facility by presenting a Service Request number, photo identification, and proof of address. The facility will also be open on additional Saturdays. Residents should visit Ottawa.ca for current dates, hours, and eligibility requirements.
Moving forward: Post-Storm Infrastructure Review/ Coordinated Emergency Response
While we’re all currently in the midst of flood clean up, I share residents’ concerns regarding aging infrastructure, drainage issues, and other factors that contributed to Bay Ward being one of the most impacted areas following the Canada Day Storm
Moving forward, I’m working with my colleagues Councillors Devine and Johnson (from Knoxdale-Merivale and College Ward) to push for a full investigation of the City’s infrastructure capacity and coordinated emergency response procedures. While the July 1st storm brought an unprecedented amount of rain in a very short amount of time, our city needs to be better prepared, especially as extreme weather events become more and more frequent.
I will continue to push for answers, and much needed investment in upgrading and maintaining infrastructure in Bay Ward.
Thank you all for reaching out to my office, for sharing your stories, and for advocating for your neighbours. Let’s continue to look out for each other.
