A disaster recovery assistance program for areas affected by flooding in April which includes Billings Township, North Bay, Minden Hills and Muskoka Lakes has been activated, the province said in a news release Monday. Snowmelt saturated the ground and repeated rainfall caused rivers, creeks and lakes to overflow resulting in widespread flooding across areas in northeastern, central and eastern Ontario. According to the province, residents, small businesses, farms and not-for-profit organizations can now apply for financial support for damage caused by flooding that is not covered by insurance. “Eligible applicants can receive financial assistance for emergency expenses including clean up expenses, costs to repair or replace essential property and basic emergency expenses like evacuation costs.” “Billings was significantly impacted with many residents experiencing extensive property damage and looks forward to working with the province moving forward.” said Bryan Barker, Billings Township Mayor. “We’ve heard from constituents near Chippewa Creek who were affected by the heavy rainfall, and it is reassuring to know our government is there to support the community,” said Vic Fedeli, MPP for North Bay. On July 17 the recovery assistance program was activated in parts of Armour, Burk’s Falls, French River, Greater Sudbury, Orillia, Ramara, and Kawartha Lakes where damage assessments for the affected municipalities have now been completed. The application deadline for the recovery assistance program is Jan.18, 2027.
