Ontario Provides Additional Support for the Region of Durham During COVID-19
Financial relief will help ensure the delivery of critical services and keep capital projects on track
March 4, 2021
WHITBY — The Ontario Government is providing $7,875,510 to help the Region of Durham address ongoing COVID-19-related operating costs. The new financial relief will help ensure the delivery of critical services during the pandemic and keep capital projects on track.
“Our Government is committed to helping to ensure stability for municipalities like the Town of Whitby as they plan for the year ahead, and give them the confidence needed to continue to provide critical local services,” said Whitby MPP Lorne Coe and Chief Government Whip. “This additional provincial funding will help Whitby Town Council to address their 2021 COVID-19 related operating pressures, and help keep capital projects on track. Strong communities are the foundation of a strong Ontario.”
“Municipalities in Durham and across Ontario have been dealing with the financial costs of the COVID-19 pandemic”, said Rod Phillips MPP for Ajax. “One of our Government’s priorities is to provide the financial relief required to ensure our Municipalities continue to deliver the services that families in Ajax and Ontario rely on, and that is why we are providing $1.9 million to help the Town of Ajax and $8 million to Durham Region during this difficult time”.
Today’s announcement is part of the Province’s $500 million investment to help ensure the stability of Ontario’s 444 municipalities as they plan for the year ahead. The funding is being prioritized to help municipalities hardest hit by the pandemic and can be used for things like personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and by-law enforcement.
“This additional funding for Municipalities to address ongoing COVID-19 related budget pressures will assist with keeping municipal projects on track,” said Lindsey Park, MPP Durham. “Our Government is supporting vital municipal services in Oshawa, Scugog and Clarington through these challenging times.”
“Our Government continues to adapt and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as it evolves, and we know our municipal partners are on the front lines of this effort – providing the critical services people depend on every day,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “Our municipalities have been clear that they need ongoing operating funding in 2021, and it is important that we step up and provide that support so our municipal partners can continue to deliver the services Ontarians rely on each and every day.”
This Provincial investment builds on the $1.39 billion in operating funding that was provided to municipal partners through the joint federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement. The second phase of the Safe Restart Agreement was allocated to all Ontario municipalities in December, to ensure that no community entered 2021 facing an operating deficit from 2020.
“Municipalities are important partners in the fight against COVID-19,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board. “We know the global pandemic has created significant financial challenges for communities across the Province. That’s why we have been there with support from the very beginning. I encourage our federal partners to step forward with additional investments as all three Governments work together to protect people’s health and jobs.”
QUICK FACTS
Visit Ontario’s website to learn more about how the Province continues to protect the people of Ontario from COVID-19