Beamsville – Following an extraordinary rainfall event that overwhelmed local roads, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure in Niagara, and with the declaration of a State of Emergency submitted by the Town of Lincoln and City of St. Catharines, the Ontario government is moving quickly to support residents and businesses in impacted areas through the province’s Emergency Management Program.
Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West, is coordinating a provincial response, working closely with Premier Ford, along with Hon. Jill Dunlop, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response, and Hon. Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, as well as local mayors and municipal leaders.
“When emergencies happen, getting boots on the ground quickly can make all the difference in supporting affected families and businesses and reducing property losses,” said MPP Oosterhoff.
“I would like to recognize the incredible efforts of our frontline first responders, municipal emergency response teams, hydro workers who answered the call to support their community in a time of need. Thanks to these efforts, we are on the road to recovery.”
MPP Oosterhoff joined Premier Ford, today, in Lincoln and St. Catharines to survey flood damage and pledge provincial assistance for the emergency response of local municipalities.
The province has taken action by instructing the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre to work with local Emergency Operations Centres in Niagara to provide support as needed. The Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response is conducting outreach in Lincoln and St. Catharines to assess local needs and identify provincial supports, including deploying partners with Ontario Corps, supporting debris removal and disposal and coordinating the delivery of supplies, including cleaning kits.
The Town of Lincoln and City of St. Catharines submitted declarations of emergency following the historic rainfall and flooding that overwhelmed roads, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure and municipal services. In the Town of Lincoln, more than 170 millimetres of rainfall were reported August 2, following previous storms that each brought more than 100 millimeters of rain. The City of St. Catharines is reporting more than 140 millimetres of precipitation, following similar totals in previous rainfall events.
In addition to immediate relief efforts, residents in affected communities – following a formal assessment and activation – could be eligible for the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians Program. The Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians Program is intended to help eligible residents in activation zones with costs such as clean up expenses, costs to repair or replace essential property and basic emergency expenses like evacuation travel costs. The program is intended to provide financial assistance where private insurance coverage is not available and is not a replacement for insurance coverage.
In warranted circumstances, municipalities could be eligible for the Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance Program, which helps cover extraordinary costs following a natural disaster.
To prepare for extraordinary rainfall events, the province has been making unprecedented investments in wastewater and stormwater infrastructure in Niagara, part of more than $272 million in provincial investments in critical infrastructure across the region since 2024 – representing one of the largest infrastructure commitments in Niagara’s history. These water, wastewater, stormwater and flood control investments include a $3.8 million investment for the Martindale Pond Weir Rehabilitation Project in St. Catharines, as well as provincial funding for stormwater upgrades in Lincoln and St. Catharines through the Health and Safety Water Stream of the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program.