Ice storm disaster funds finally in the mail

Two full years later, the Ontario government says it has finalized payments from the disaster relief program for the December 2013 ice storm.

Prince Edward County is to receive $422,673. PEC received an interim payment of $155,682 in February.

The County was one of the hardest hit municipalities in the province. The municipality’s public works crews began removing branches and fallen trees from the County’s 1,100 kms of roads when the storm began Dec. 18. Warming centres were opened Dec. 22-24 to provide residents and their pets with a place to warm up and charge mobile devices. More than 100 adults and children made use of the centres, including 25 who stayed overnight. Clean up continued well into January.

A total of 58 claims were received and the province says is providing more than 131 million dollars in financial assistance. Ontario will be reimbursed by the federal government for a portion of the eligible response and recovery costs under the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements.

The ice storm caused widespread damage and blackouts across southern, western and eastern Ontario, leaving more than 800,000 hydro customers without power at the peak of the storm.